On Thursday, new Nike CEO Elliott Hill promised more of “Nike is Nike.”

On Friday, the company’s Jordan brand announced it was covering the fine for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who wore a mismatched pair of Jordan cleats during the game against the Steelers last weekend.

The NFL fined Hurts $5,628 for wearing unapproved colors.

“We are paying the penalty,” Jordan Brand said in a statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive. “You can’t prohibit greatness.”

The moment commemorates one of the most storied chapters in Nike’s history and suggests the return of corporate irreverence that has waned in recent years but that Hill appears eager to revive.

Around 40 years ago, the NBA reportedly fined Michael Jordan $5,000 per game for wearing Air Jordans that were not an approved color. Nike has that covered well too. Jordan’s signature shoes have continued to grow in popularity, and Nike’s Jordan brand now sells $7 billion in footwear and apparel annually.

Since then, the NBA has significantly relaxed the rules regarding the colors of shoes players can wear.

On Thursday, Hill, a popular insider and 32-year Nike veteran, acknowledged the company’s recent stumbles, saying, among other things, that the company had lost its “obsession with sports.” He promised to put running tracks, basketball courts and soccer fields back at the heart of Nike’s business. Since he began work, Nike has also extended his contracts with the WNBA and NBA for 12 years and with the NFL for another 10 years.

“My sole focus is to help us get back on track,” Hill said in a call with stock analysts on Thursday.

– Matthew Kish covers companies including the sportswear and banking industries. Reach him at 503-221-4386, [email protected] or @matthewkish.

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