{"id":1559655,"date":"2023-04-28T10:25:25","date_gmt":"2023-04-28T14:25:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1559655"},"modified":"2023-04-28T10:25:26","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T14:25:26","slug":"dale-earnhardt-breaking-michael-jordan-record-nearly-turned-them-into-partners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/dale-earnhardt-breaking-michael-jordan-record-nearly-turned-them-into-partners\/","title":{"rendered":"Dale Earnhardt Breaking a Michael Jordan Record Nearly Turned Them Into Partners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Michael Jordan<\/a> had the \u201cFlu Game\u201d against the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals. Dale Earnhardt<\/a> went 21 straight seasons without missing a NASCAR Cup Series<\/a> race despite an assortment of broken bones<\/a> and other injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only proper conclusion about their competitiveness is that putting them in the same room for anything from checkers to mixed martial arts would have resulted in an epic battle. Why are we so sure? Probably because they even went head-to-head over who could make more money on TV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are holdouts who do not regard Michael Jordan as the greatest NBA player ever, but no reasonable observer can put him outside the top five. He played 15 seasons, primarily for the Chicago Bulls, during which he won 10 scoring titles, six championships, and five Most Valuable Player awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best of all, Jordan was a clutch performer in important games. He averaged 33.4 points and 5.7 assists over 179 playoff games, a tribute to his consistency on the sport\u2019s biggest stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dale Earnhardt won 76 NASCAR Cup Series races, including all the major events at least once, on his way to a record-tying seven season championships. His aggressive driving style thrilled fans, and he was every bit as iconic in racing as Jordan was in basketball. When The Athletic did an exhaustive compilation of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, Earnhardt checked in at No. 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bottom line is that Earnhardt and Jordan were masters of their crafts and are destined to rank among the best for generations to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from being great athletes in their respective sports, Dale Earnhardt and Michael Jordan were shrewd businessmen while competing. Jordan, of course, struck the shoe deal with Nike that is the standard by which all sports marketing is judged. Earnhardt understood the value of licensing and leveraged his name and likeness into a cash stream that was unprecedented in NASCAR and unmatched by all but a handful of athletes in other sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, both men knew their limitations. Being a great performer is a full-time job, and Earnhardt and Jordan realized their needed business partners. Jordan relied upon agent David Falk in the early years to get the ball rolling. Earnhardt turned to Don Hawk to operate Dale Earnhardt, Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Falk is legendary among agents. Hawk may be lesser known, but he had an effect on the entire racing industry because of deals he helped Earnhardt land, and that began with Coca-Cola. Other drivers signed to be part of the Coca-Cola Racing Family, but The Intimidator had a true endorsement deal with the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDale Earnhardt and Michael Jordan were legends in their respective sports<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Dale Earnhardt and Michael Jordan took making money to new levels<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n