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Nike. The goddess of victory. The “Swoosh”. The aura. They are Phil Knight and Bob Bowerman. It is life “inside the berm”, and “Just Do It.” We are, of course, talking about Nike, the global footwear and apparel company that is truly a $16 billion empire. The Beaverton, OR. based company has redefined what athletics companies are about. Whether it is their Maxims (It is our Nature to Innovate. Evolve Immediately. Do the Right Thing., etc.), the story of Nike is about something more than just "shoes and apparel". Whether it is Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, or questions about labor practices in third world countries such as Vietnam where Nike shoes are manufactured, the story of Nike was made for television. With that, CNBC and sports business reporter Darren Rovell has made, what can really be defined as a “Made for Hollywood” documentary entitled, “Swoosh: Inside Nike”, The one hour documentary that goes into, not only the business side of Nike, but their evolution, their culture, their labor practices, and their aura. Rovell and CNBC literally spanned the globe to capture the story. Whether it was visiting Nike’s sprawling world headquarters in Beaverton, interviewing Michael Jordan in Charlotte, Charles Barkley in NYC, or going to Vietnam to see shoes being manufactured, the documentary does an outstanding job at explaining the phenomenon that is Nike. For those interested in seeing “Swoosh: Inside Nike,” it can next be seen Sunday, Feb. 24 at 10pm ET and Friday, Feb. 29 at 9pm and midnight ET
See CNBC's Swoosh: Inside Nike mini site We had a chance to catch up with Rovell within his busy schedule to ask some questions about the documentary, and Nike as a business. The following interview covers the logistics of making the documentary, the relationship between Michael Jordan, Tinker Hatfield, and Nike, how the Jordan brand, as a revenue stream, compares to other product lines of Nike, thoughts on Wieden + Kennedy’s groundbreaking ad campaigns, Nike Skateboard, the selling of Nike Bauer, and whether Nike will ever be supplanted as the global footwear and apparel king. To see the interview with Darren Rovell, select the following to view on The Biz of Basketball: Interview - Darren Rovell on Nike Documentary for CNBC
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