"He took a knife from the kitchen and cut it to shreds" - Michael Jordan went merciless to make his friends switch to Nike

While numerous high-profile athletes have represented major sports brands, none have displayed the commitment and loyalty that Michael Jordan has for Nike. As the Nike-affiliated Jordan brand continues to expand MJ's legacy today, Mike's dedication to promoting the brand has always extended far beyond his professional image.

Jordan's influence encouraged teammates, family members, and even his agent to immerse themselves in the brand. Consequently, when he found one of his closest friends favored competing sports brands, Jordan took unconventional steps to make them switch to Nike.

MJ destroyed his friend's Puma closet

If covering the Reebok logo with the American flag during the 1992 Dream Team's gold medal ceremony seemed like an extraordinary act of loyalty, Mike took similar steps even in his private life. One perfect example was when he discovered that his good friend, Charlotte Bobcats President Fred Whitfield, had a half-filled closet with Puma gear.

In his ESPN piece, Wright Thompson shared details about the incident to highlight just how far the 14-time All-Star went to keep everyone around him fond of Nike.

"Jordan bundled the Puma gear in his arms, tossing it onto the living room floor. He took a knife from the kitchen and cut it to shreds," Thompson wrote . "Call Howard White, his contact at Nike, he told Fred, and tell him to replace it all."

Whitfield wasn't the only one who experienced MJ's dedication to Nike. When the 6'6" shooting guard found out that another close friend, George Koehler, had bought New Balance shoes, he didn't hesitate to replace them with a Nike pair.

Bow Wow experienced the same fate

Rapper Bow Wow shared a story about staying at MJ's house while on tour in Chicago. The six-time NBA champion spotted his Reebok sneakers (since Bow Wow was an Allen Iverson fan) and immediately tossed them in the trash , instructing his security to get the rapper a pair of Air Jordans instead.

"Mr. Jordan came in there. I was sleeping on the floor of Marcus' room, Marcus on the bed, whatever," Bow Wow recalled. "He kicked me up like, 'Hey, all ya'll wake up.' I swear to god. 'Whose (sneakers are) these? And who has Duke shorts on in my house?"

Whenever Jordan finds anyone getting accustomed to a different brand, he wastes little time getting them affiliated with Nike or his Air Jordan brand. Also, according to Inc.com , MJ made over $1.5 billion in his life from his partnership with Nike.

Cutting other people's clothes with a knife is a little bit more understandable when you think about that amount of money.

Related: The only guy Michael Jordan used to fear on the court wasn't even a basketball player