‘The Godfather of the Jordan Brand’: How Howard White found his calling as MJ’s closest confidant Posted Jun 22, 2023 There’s only one person who’s been alongside Michael Jordan for the entire story of Air Jordan. Howard White has been the man behind the scenes for Jordan and his brand since the beginning. In 1984, White — who’s now 72 and the longest-tenured African-American exec in Nike history — sat in the room during the original pitch to Jordan and his parents. (Andscape)