I’m sitting in a windowless conference room at Nike HQ, the air thick with tension. The numbers are on the screen—red, all of it. Sales. Projections. Morale.\n\nPhil Knight leans forward. 'We’re done with basketball unless someone has a real idea. Not a Hail Mary. A plan.'\n\nAll eyes turn to me. Sonny Vaccaro. Talent scout. Dreamer.\n\nI take a breath. 'There’s a kid. Fresh out of North Carolina. Fast, explosive, but it’s not just how he plays—it’s how he moves, how he looks, how he feels when he’s on the court. His name’s Michael Jordan.'\n\nRob Strasser raises an eyebrow. 'And you think he’ll sign with us? With this?'\n\nI nod. 'If we give him something no one else will: freedom. A shoe with his name. A brand that isn’t just about sport—it’s about attitude.'\n\nSilence. Then Phil: 'You’ve got one shot. Make it count.'\n\nNow it’s on me. Do I go all in—risking my job, the division, everything—on a rookie who might not even want us?