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The story of how one Nike designer stood up to Michael Jordan

Not often do you encounter someone who could stand up to Jordan?

Stephen Beslic

© Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
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It’s not often that the great Michael Jordan gets denied, especially when it involves products that he inspired. However, this happened when renowned designer Michael DiTullo kept an Air Jordan 3-inspired bag away from His Airness himself.

Wear testing a bag

As the story goes, DiTullo had designed and produced a bag inspired by the Air Jordan 3. Nike executives were so enthralled that they immediately ordered 100,000 pieces to be manufactured. However, as DiTullo was still testing the bag out, it caught the eye of His Airness, who inquired, “I get the first one of everything, right?”

DiTullo responded in the affirmative but added that he couldn’t give the one he had on him as it was already worn out and torn-up from all the testing. Much to his surprise, MJ was persistent, saying, “So, I can’t have the bag?” DiTullo then stood his ground and responded: “I can’t. I’m not going to give you this one, it’s all messed up. I’ll give you like a good one.”

Kept on going

In typical Jordan fashion, the five-time MVP insisted on acquiring the bag. “He's like, ‘I can't have that bag?’ and I was like, ‘Mike like it's raining, it's got my laptop in it, no you can't have this bag.’ And he's like, ‘So, you're telling me I can't have the bag with my own name on it?’” DiTullo recounted.

“And at that point, I'm kind of committed, right so I'm like, ‘No, he can't have this one,’ and he was just like unbelievable and walks back to the table.”

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Stephen Beslic
STEPHEN BESLIC

Stephen Beslic is a writer on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Stephen played basketball from the age of 10 and graduated from Faculty of Economic and Business in Zagreb, Croatia, majoring in Marketing.

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