Howard White, ‘Heart and Soul’ of Jordan Brand, Delivers Emotional Remarks at FN Achievement Awards 2023 as Nike CEO John Donahoe, Spike Lee + More Big Names Cheer Him On
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There was not a dry eye in sight as Jordan Brand VP Howard White accepted his Hall of Fame honor at the FN Achievement Awards in NYC on Wednesday night.
Jordan Brand advisory board chairman Larry Miller, who presented the honor to White inside the Cipriani South Street ballroom on Wednesday night, dubbed White the “heart and soul” of the company.
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“When I thought about what I wanted to say to Howard, two words come to mind for me,” Miller said. “Those two words were, ‘thank you.’ Howard has touched so many people. By just the way he is able to put things into perspective that no one else can. Whenever I’ve had issues or had situations that I’m dealing with, whether it’s personal or business, I know I can certainly get advice. I can get insights that nobody else can come up with. I’ve gone into Howard’s office with a lot of issues, or a lot of concerns and he always comes up with something that I would have never thought of.
White, who began his remarks by admitting he wasn’t initially going to come to the event due to health reasons, said that his wife and doctor cleared him to make the trek across the country to accept this award – calling it a “tremendously humbling experience.”
“I’d like to thank Carmelo [Anthony] and Spike [Lee],” White said. “And our CEO John [Donahoe] for allowing me to be at Nike, to be a part of a team. My team is here from Jordan. I got friends and even Fred Whitfield [president of Charlotte Hornets], and Leon Rose [president of New York Knicks] are here. All of these people have come out for me. And I can tell you that’s the reason I am here today.”
White, an avid storyteller in the Jordan offices, went on to talk about the significance of the white dinner jacket he wore to Wednesday’s event. “Uncle Bill, my mom’s brother, let me borrow his white dinner jacket when I went to the ring dance in high school,” White recalled. “And I remember that mama said that Bill got dressed up every day to go to work. Now, Uncle Bill worked at the shipyard, so that’s a labor job. He carried a briefcase. Most people who carried a briefcase have papers in it. Bill had his work clothes in it. So, you can be what you want to be if that’s what you want to be.”
The longtime Nike exec, who was instrumental in signing Michael Jordan to Nike, went on to highlight the hope that shoes sometimes bring to people. “When one of my friends was a little down when I was in the hospital, he told the head thoracic surgeon, ‘I’m not like you because you save lives and I just work for a shoe company.’ The surgeon responded, ‘Sadly, that’s the way you see it. I may save lives, but you bring hope, and the world needs hope.’ So, every last one of you in here should feel proud of what you do because somebody is getting hope from what you do.”
Wrapping up, White encouraged everyone in the room who has been successful in their lives to take a moment to thank those that helped them to rise to their achievements.
“If that person happens to be here tonight, you look at them and say, ‘thank you, I made it with your help,’” White said. “If it’s an old person, don’t text them. Call them up and say thank you because I made it, I got there. If it’s somebody that just isn’t here. Close your eyes and put a smile on your face and say thank you, we’ve made it.”
“Thank you for allowing this little old country boy to be a part of something so wonderful,” White added.
Even before he arrived at Nike, “H” was a household name.
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.
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.”
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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