FNAA Hall of Fame Winner Howard White on His Bond With Michael Jordan and Being Nike’s Longest-Tenured Black Executive
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On Nov. 29, Howard White will be honored with the Hall of Fame award at the 37th annual FN Achievement Awards. Below is an article from the magazine’s Nov. 27 print issue about White’s bond with NBA icon Michael Jordan, being the longest-tenured Black executive at Nike and more.
Even before he arrived at Nike, “H” was a household name.
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Howard White, the high school basketball phenom and standout at the University of Maryland — was so revered in the early 1970s that the athlete had his nickname placed on the back of his college jersey instead of his last name.
After a storied college career, the baller was drafted into the NBA, but knee injuries quickly derailed his dreams. Following a short stint as an assistant coach for Maryland, White joined Nike as a field representative in 1978 — at a time when the fledgling brand was being overshadowed by bigger competitors like Adidas and Reebok.
Soon, he was making the dreams of another young athlete come true — and the rest is history. “H” joined FN via Zoom this month from Nike Inc.’s sprawling campus in Beaverton, Ore. His office, replete with photographs and memorabilia from his 45-year run at the athletic powerhouse, is on the fourth floor of the Michael Jordan Building.
It is a fitting home for White, who was one of the people instrumental in signing the NBA icon to Nike. His role in the deal was forever immortalized in this year’s highly acclaimed film “Air,” where he was portrayed by Chris Tucker.
“First of all, being portrayed in a movie is ridiculous. Think about that. Someone literally is going to portray you in a movie. A movie that’s on a big screen with big speakers and everything. That’s pretty cool to me,” White said with excitement in his voice. “Here I was, on a movie screen, H White — the little boy that was riding stick horses not that long ago is on a movie screen.”
More than four decades later, White — the longest-tenured Black executive at Nike Inc. — holds the title of VP of Jordan Brand Affairs, although internally he’s affectionately referred to as the “resident legend.”
Even that term might be an understatement. Larry Miller, chairman of the Jordan Brand Advisory Board, credited White with selling Nike co- founder Phil Knight on the idea of Jordan Brand as its own standalone label.
“He saw the potential and was bold enough to dream of what this could be,” Miller told FN. “When I think about the beginning of the brand, I think about H and his passion for what it could mean and represent to the world. Howard understood implicitly what it would signify to elevate Michael Jordan and his story, and to build around the idea of man taking flight and elevating the power of self-belief.”
This vision also went far beyond product and focused strongly on purpose. White and Miller, alongside others from Jordan Brand, built the first iteration of its Wings program, which helps youth globally attain higher education through scholarships and more.
“Howard has always made sure that philanthropy is central to Jordan Brand,” said Shauncey Mashia Stelly, senior professional of Jordan Black Community Commitment. “Thanks to the vision of H and Larry, the emotional connection young people have to the brand is tapped to help youth define greatness on their own terms and create access to opportunity.”
Below, White shares thoughts on his iconic career in conversation with FN.
What does being the longest-tenured Black executive at Nike mean to you?
“In truth, it’s like a fantasy. This company and Mr. Knight have given me so many opportunities. I thought when I turned 55, I’m going to retire. And then 55 came. How about 60? Then it’s 65, then it’s 70 and a heart transplant. I kept coming back because this means something. This is more than just a job. The people here mean something. That’s what keeps bringing me back.”
You’ve been with Michael Jordan throughout his pro basketball career and beyond. How significant is that?
“That relationship, that bond, I became a part of [MJ’s] family. When he would come to [Washington], D.C., he would stay at my place. We would hang out, we would travel, we would do things together. I tried to always be a resource, someone who could help him become who he became, and that’s it. I’m just grateful for being allowed to be a part of who he has become.”
What is your relationship like with Michael Jordan and Phil Knight today?
“The relationships are solid. Philip comes every now and again, and we talk. MJ, I don’t see him like I did, but we always talk. Those are relationships that have been built, with MJ since ’84, with Mr. Knight since ’82. [“Air” director] Ben [Affleck] told me, ‘I went down to see Michael, I wasn’t going to do a movie without his permission.’ Michael said, ‘If it’s about Nike you got to put Howard White in there.’ I guess he explained to Ben what I meant to him. All of a sudden, I’m on a movie screen played by Chris Tucker. I had known Tuck for quite a few years, and I remember when he called and said, ‘Man, they want me to play Howard White. They doing this movie, man, and they want me to play you’ (said in Tucker’s voice). Tuck and I, we spoke a lot about it. That coming to fruition is powerful. Deferred gratification has been taken off the table and everybody wants it immediately. This shows that longevity has its rewards.”
Your Chris Tucker impression is excellent. You could play him in a movie.
(Laughs) “Yeah, I ain’t writing that script though. I’m writing that H. White story.”
It’s hard to believe you’re 73. How do you still have this youthful energy?
“Everybody has a choice. You wake up and can see the world you want to live in. You can look around and say there’s doom and gloom. That can drag people down. They fail to look at the positive things. After having a transplant, you tend to notice the smaller things in life.”
Jordan Brand Wings has helped people realize their college dreams all over the world. How has this program transformed over the years?
“When I think about Wings, I have to go back to the first organization we started, Jordan Fundamentals. That was helping teachers. They would write proposals, we had people read them and pick the best ones. We would give money to fund those proposals. Eventually, we [Larry and Shauncey] were talking, ‘What if we could give kids a scholarship? A college education?’ We thought that could change kids’ lives. Shauncey said, ‘I can make it happen,’ and she did. The world we live in today, everything has become short term, immediate gratification. Education, you have to put time into it. With our first Wings scholars, we found that, although they were bright students, most didn’t have the background, the discipline and structure when they went to four-year schools. Shauncey found ways to have people work with them, give them the [tools] to deal with those situations. Then they went to those schools and flourished. This brand’s program became discipline, structure, habit, hard work, and then they got scholarships, internships and jobs. That little phase of immediate gratification was taken out and replaced with deferred gratification, and the program has blossomed.”
Looking back, what is the proudest moment of your career?
“[The communications team] started ‘Rocking With H’ in 2022, [an internal video series]. They would have different people come and we’d sit down in rocking chairs and talk. That progressed into ‘Late Night With Howard “H” White.’ I had my band playing, we had 400 or 500 in the audience and we had them on Zoom around the world. I did one a few weeks ago with Phil Knight and Michael Jordan. To have those two titans sit down and have an old- fashioned conversation with a little old guy named Howard White was pretty amazing.”
You’re known as a great storyteller. Who stops in your office the most to hear your stories?
“Everybody. When athletes come, the guys will bring them over so we can talk. I want to hear their stories. Jalen Hurts, we sat down. I wanted to hear where he was. When they brought Dak [Prescott] by, we sat down and I said, ‘What are we struggling with? Tell me what’s going on.’ I don’t know why, but there is always something that comes to mind that fits. I have to hear where someone is coming from in order to pull forward something that might help their life.”
Years down the line, when you are watching Jordan Brand and Nike from afar, what do want to be remembered for?
“As one of the forefathers of Jordan. [Someone] who helped Nike grow this company into what it was. The right-hand guy to legends. The folks we would call gods and goddesses and the gladiators — I was their guy. [I hope people would say], ‘I will tell you he was one of the nicest people that I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. I want you to know he was one of the kindest, gentlest human beings. That would be a pretty good legacy.’”
For 37 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2023 event is supported by sponsors Authentic Brands Group, Birdies, Caleres, Crocs, FDRA, Nordstrom, Saucony and Vibram.
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