Nike is picking up Jalen Hurts’ fine for wearing the wrong Jordans

On Thursday, new Nike chief Elliott Hill promised more that “Nike is Nike.”

On Friday, the company’s Jordan brand said it is picking up the fine for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who wore a mismatched pair of Jordan shoes during last weekend’s game against the Steelers.

The NFL fined Hurts $5,628 for wearing unsanctioned colors.

“We will pay the fine,” the Jordan brand said in a statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive. “You can’t ban greatness.”

The moment evokes one of the most famous chapters in Nike’s history and suggests the return of the corporate irreverence that has waned in recent years but which Hill seems eager to revive.

About 40 years ago, the NBA fined Michael Jordan $5,000 per game for wearing Air Jordans that were not an approved color. Nike also covered it nicely. Jordan’s signature shoe exploded in popularity, and Nike’s Jordan brand now sells $7 billion in footwear and apparel annually.

The NBA has since greatly relaxed the rules on the colors of shoes that players can wear.

On Thursday, Hill, a popular insider and 32-year Nike veteran, acknowledged the company’s recent stumbles, including that the company lost its “obsession with sports.” He promised to put running tracks, basketball courts and soccer fields back at the center of Nike’s business. Since he began working, Nike has also extended its agreements with the WNBA and NBA by 12 years and with the NFL by another 10 years.

“My singular focus is to help get us back on track,” Hill said in a call Thursday with stock analysts.

– Matthew Kish covers business including sportswear and the banking industry. Contact him at 503-221-4386, [email protected] or @matthewkish.

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