Remembering Michael Jordan’s Landmark McDonald’s Deal

McDonald’s stunned fans on Tuesday with the announcement that the company had partnered with musician/producer Travis Scott. The Houston-area rapper headed to Downey, California, to promote the collaboration while also celebrating history in the making. He officially became the second celebrity in history to have a meal named after him, joining NBA legend Michael Jordan.

In 1992, McDonald’s fully embraced the Chicago Bulls hype by releasing the special McJordan burger. This special edition creation was a cheeseburger on a sesame seed bun. The McJordan had pickles, raw onion slices, bacon and barbecue sauce. The hamburger giant didn’t use standard bacon slices, however. The company actually used old-style circular bacon.

While NBA fans loved the idea of the McJordan, only a select few had the opportunity to try the exclusive burger. Only franchises in Chicago had access to the McJordan, creating envy among fans in other areas. This burger was actually so exclusive that a man in Chicago purchased a gallon of the McJordan BBQ sauce for nearly $10,000 on eBay in 2012.

According to ESPN, a former McDonald’s owner-operator in North Dakota named Mort Bank had a gallon of the sauce sitting at his home with other McDonald’s memorabilia. He was curious about what he could get for the rare item, so he placed it on eBay. He had the item on the auction site for several months, but nobody ever met the minimum bid of $10,000. He later added a “buy it now” option.

“All of a sudden a news story broke, not sure how, but all of a sudden my daughter called and said we were getting all kinds of offers and questions about it,” Bank said, per ESPN. “It started spreading on the Internet. People paid attention and started making offers.” He ultimately accepted an offer for $9,995.

When McDonald’s originally released the McJordan meal, fans paid $3.59 for the custom cheeseburger, large fries and a medium soda. Nearly 30 years later, Scott’s meal costs significantly more. The celebrity meal is available for $6. However, it does have one advantage over the McJordan due to its availability across the country.

The celebrity meal features Scott’s three favorite menu items: a quarter pounder with cheese, medium fries with barbecue sauce and a Sprite soda with ice. Additionally, the burger also includes lettuce and bacon, which McDonald’s says are Scott’s favorite toppings. According to Variety, Scott and the burger chain also partnered to design new uniforms for employees across the country.