“Even (NBA Commissioner David) Stern, the visionary, had no idea at the time just how pivotal the summer of 1984 would become—to his sport and to all of sports.” I’m Mark Martin with "Martin’s Must Reads" and with this quote from his book Glory Days: The Summer of 1984 and the 90 Days That Changed Sport and Culture Forever L. Jon Wertheim sets the stage for a recounting a year that had monumental impact on sports and culture and all of life.
The year 1984 was the summer of Martina Navratola and the start of the crusade for lesbian rights. It was the summer when the rivalry between Boston’s Larry Bird and Los Angeles’ Magic Johnson exploded the popularity of the NBA. It was the year Donald Trump began to show his true nature with his upstart United State Football League. It was the year Nike went from a small shoe company to a juggernaut.
In 1984, the movie Karate Kid hit the screens ushering in a new genre of movies and helping to open the door to mixed martial arts fighting. It was the year a minor upstart cable company located in Bristol Connecticut named Entertainment and Sports Programing Network revolutionized televised sports. It was the year Bruce Springsteen invited a young Courtney Cox on stage as he sang “Dancing in the Dark”, and a new game show host named Alex Trebek appeared.
In 1984 a kid came out North Carolina, played in the Olympics, giving the world their first glimpse of the person who would change basketball and sports marketing forever. His name: Michael Jordan.
1984 was a year that would change so many things in culture, business and sports. L. Jon Wertheim in his book Glory Days takes you back to that momentous year.
