SEATTLE — Thirty years ago, the Nike we know today with its iconic athletes and superstores was just an idea.
With the release of Air this month, highlighting an early part of that journey, we're looking back on interviews KING 5's Joyce Taylor did with many of the same people featured in the movie.
In 1992, Taylor sat down with Phil Knight, Michael Jordan, Bill Bowerman and others. Air highlights Nike's recruitment of Jordan as a key piece to its growth. And our interviews touched on some of the same themes.
Knight was a visionary, who rarely gave interviews, so getting him to sit down was a bit of a coup. Taylor described him as eccentric, outgoing and interesting. She said that Knight was wholly convinced that Nike was going to be a mega, global brand. It's currently worth $190 billion.
Taylor also sat down with Jordan, calling it the hardest interview to secure in her career. At the time, Jordan was 28 and already a superstar. At a Nike event, Taylor snuck into his wife's seat when she left to use the restroom. She grabbed Jordan's hand and begged him for the last interview she needed to fully tell Nike's story.
Jordan said yes, giving her 10 minutes on camera.
Jordan told Taylor he was an Adidas guy and had given them a chance to match or come close to Nike's offer. But they didn't and the rest, as they say, is history.
Here's a look back at those stories from 1992:
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