Michael Jordan decided to get into the liquor business some time ago, and considering his stature in the NBA and the world of sports in general; he could put his name on the label and make a fortune.
Jordan teamed up with owners from the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics to create an ultra-premium blend of tequila. Their product already won prizes at tasting competitions from Los Angeles to New York.
“It’s not about the ownership group. It’s not a celebrity-endorsed brand,” the CEO of Cincoro Tequila and the wife of Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, Emilia Fazzalari said. “It was never about that. For us, it has always been about the liquid first.”
These unlikely business partners are entering a whole new game with Cincoro 🥃https://t.co/jNeBGiZWGX
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 16, 2019
Jordan developed an interest in tequila three years ago when he had dinner with Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, Milwaukee Bucks owner Wes Edens, Grousbeck and Fazzalari.
“We wanted this tequila that tasted great,” Fazzalari continued. “We are competitors on the court. We stand across from each other and compete throughout the season. But we are collaborators by nature.”
The NBA executives didn’t just give money and watch how it went. They actually put some work into it. Jordan was involved in the design of the bottle, and he and the vice president of innovation special projects at Nike, Mark Smith, came up with a five-sided crystal bottle.
“All the partners are actively involved in the company, and we all have been from Day 1,” Fazzalari said. “They’re not silent partners.”
Cincoro is producing four different tequilas, starting with the Blanco that costs $70. A limited-edition Extra Anejo, which is 40-44 months old, stands at $1,600 and comes in a black crystal bottle that is inlaid with real gold.
H/T: ESPN
