Howard H White: Inside Nike, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter & athletes who define greatness, untold stories, leadership, resilience, mentorship, creating Jordan brand and the legacy of lifting others beyond success.

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
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**Ryan Clark** (0:30)
Some conversations stay with you long after they end, and this is one of them. We stepped inside the office of Jordan Brand CEO Howard White in the Michael Jordan building. We wanted to talk to a man whose impact reaches far beyond the sneakers, sports or business, and his story starts long before any boardroom or championship celebration. We'll find out why the man simply known as H is a living legend. As a little boy, his mother gave him a lesson he'd never forget. Even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street. It was a simple reminder to acknowledge people, show respect, and never believe you're above anyone else. That lesson became the foundation of a remarkable life. We talk about the influence of his high school coach, Coach Hathaway, the unforgettable day he first met Michael Jordan and the hamburger that almost spoiled it. The story behind one of the most iconic game winners in NBA history and what greatness truly looks like. Also, what did Howard H White see in Tiger Woods, that he also saw in MJ throughout his entire career. He opens up about his own heart health journey, the perspective it gave him, and why he makes it a point to speak to everyone he meets, regardless of title, status, or circumstance. In the end, it truly came back to one moment, the day he walked by Mr. Lee. This isn't just a conversation about leadership, it's about humility, purpose, legacy, and the small moments that shape extraordinary lives. Please welcome Howard H White, as he joins me, Fred, and Chan, for one of our biggest pivots.

**Howard H White** (2:28)
What's up, Paul? What's up with you, baby boy?

**Ryan Clark** (2:29)
Yeah, sir, you're lookin clean, too.

**Howard H White** (2:31)
Man, I'm just glad to be here, you know?

**Ryan Clark** (2:35)
I knew you were gonna have the white pocket square, too, though. I knew the white pocket square was coming.

**Howard H White** (2:40)
Just a little hint of that, you know? Yeah, that's a little something. Just a little something, you know, you can always tell a gentleman, you know, they're little pocket squirrels. Yeah.
Yes.

**Ryan Clark** (2:54)
Well, welcome to The Pivot. We're extremely excited to have Howard H White. This is the godfather of the Jordan brand. This is Fred Taylor, Channing Crowder. I'm Ryan Clark, Pivot family. Thank you for pivoting with us. Man, it was just in learning about you about the history of this brand.
It's truly refreshing to see someone who has reached the heights that you have, but still the foundation of that young man that grew up in Virginia. So I want to ask you, what does the saying, even a dog can wag its tail when it walks by you, how did that come about? Why does your mother tell you that? How did it change the way the person was the rest of your life?

**Howard H White** (3:41)
I mean, that's a quite an interesting analogy because that was eight, nine. I don't know how old that was, but we were walking down the street and we lived on Pembroke, which was kind of a four lane highway. And we turn, go down Calhoun Saturday morning. And what was amazing, I was throwing rocks at the stop signs. Very few people know this. If you hit the stop sign dead in the middle, the zero, Kyle jumps over the moon. See, a lot of people don't know that. That's why you don't see it that often. And Mr. Lee was coming. Mr. Lee had this huge limp. And he walked by down south. Hey, Ms. Lee, how you doing? Hey, Lee, how you today? I'm beautiful. You have a great day, you hear? I might have nodded, but I'm trying to hit the zero there in the middle. You see Mr. Lee 50 times a day. When we got by Mr. Lee, she stopped me.
She said, you saw Lee the same as I did.
You didn't open your mouth to speak.
You let that be the last time in your life you ever walked by someone and not open your mouth to speak. Because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street. I can't tell you why, but that changed my entire outlook in life. I've been around some of the greatest athletes on the planet, some of them billionaires. But that little piece of advice has carried my life.