As it’s been said all over the online world, The Last Dance is really good.
There was this bit about how his mom, Deloris Jordan, pushed him to go see that struggling little shoe company called Nike instead of trying to sign with Michael’s favorite brand, Adidas.
It’s not a mom thing. It’s a woman thing. It’s something a majority of women absolutely excel and outperform men on a daily basis: doing what you’re supposed to do.
MJ was supposed to go see Nike. We men think we’re smart as hell trying to outplay the game. Trying to cheat the game. Trying to take a shortcut. It sounds smart, but it never really is. The problem is that it usually backfires. And then you have to clean up your mess and swallow Ls.
Imagine MJ doesn’t go see Nike, basically sending the message “I don’t deal with amateurs” (Nike at that time was often selling shoes from the back of cars). Then he thinks he’s in bed with Adidas, who didn’t care about Michael. He doesn’t get the contract with his favorite brand, goes back to see Nike, who now passes on him because he’s shifty.
Had MJ followed his cocky, man mind, the Air Jordan story would be so wildly different. It wouldn’t exist.
Basically men are loudly like “but I don’t like it, I can probably find a way to…” and women are softly like “nut the fuck up, go through the steps and smile, you bad, savage bitch”. It often works for them because well, it’s a pretty good plan most of the time.
Including when you’re a young black man from Chicago meeting with older white dudes from Portland.
Thank you, women.