Download - HIS AIRNESS
H I S A I R N E S S
B Y M A R C H E E R E N V E E N
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Early in 1984, Nike was a struggling
shoe company. The running shoe
phenomenon that has fueled their sales
in previous years was slowly dying
and they needed a way to revitalize
and reinvent themselves in order to
appeal to another segment of the
market. At the same time, rookie player
Michael Jordan was already endorsing
several products, but Nike hoped
that his appeal would generate sales.
Jordan, though, had other ideas. He
had always preferred Adidas or the
Converse shoes endorsed by North
Carolina Coach, Dean Smith, and
hoped to sign on with either company.
Converse, with Larry Bird and Magic
Johnson on board as spokesmen,
were not interested in offering a better
deal than Nike, and Adidas wasn’t
interested at all at the time; perhaps
due to Kathe Dassler’s death the same
year. While Jordan, himself, did not
initially see the significance of Nike’s
offer, his agent, David Falk, saw a
golden opportunity in Nike’s offer to
create a new line of shoes called “Air
Jordans.” and urged him to give Nike a
chance.
AIR JoRdAn
Born February 17, 1963) is a former
American professional basketball
player, active businessman, and
majority owner of the Charlotte
Bobcats. His biography on the National
Basketball Association (NBA) website
states, "By acclamation, Michael
Jordan is the greatest basketball player
of all time." Jordan was one of the
most effectively marketed athletes of
his generation and was instrumental in
popularizing the NBA around the world
in the 1980s and 1990s.
After a standout career at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where
he was a member of the Tar Heels'
National Championship team in 1982,
Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls
in 1984. He quickly emerged as a
league star, entertaining crowds with
his prolific scoring. His leaping ability,
illustrated by performing slam dunks
from the free throw line in slam dunk
contests, earned him the nicknames
"Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He
also gained a reputation for being
one of the best defensive players in
basketball. In 1991, he won his first
NBA championship with the Bulls, and
followed that achievement with titles
in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-
peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired
from basketball at the beginning of
the 1993–94 NBA season to pursue
a career in baseball, he rejoined the
Bulls in 1995 and led them to three
additional championships (1996, 1997,
and 1998) as well as an NBA-record
72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96
NBA season. Jordan retired for a
second time in 1999, but returned for
two more NBA seasons from 2001 to
2003 as a member of the Washington
Wizards.
MIchAel JoRdAn
Jordan’s individual accolades and
accomplishments include five MVP
awards, ten All-NBA First Team
designations, nine All-Defensive First
Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star
Game appearances, three All-Star
Game MVP awards, ten scoring titles,
three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP
awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive
Player of the Year Award.
He holds the NBA records for highest
career regular season scoring average
(30.12 points per game) and highest
career playoff scoring average (33.45
points per game). In 1999, he was
named the greatest North American
athlete of the 20th century by ESPN,
and was second to Babe Ruth on the
Associated Press’s list of athletes of
the century. He was elected to the
Basketball Hall of Fame on April 6,
2009 and was inducted on
September 11, 2009.
Jordan is also noted for his product
endorsements. He fueled the success
of Nike’s Air Jordan sneakers, which
were introduced in 1985 and remain
popular today. Jordan also starred in
the 1996 feature film Space Jam as
himself. He is the majority owner and
head of basketball operations for the
NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats; he recently
won a bidding war to buy controlling
interest in the team from founding
owner Robert L. Johnson.
Jordan was born in Brooklyn,
New York, the son of Deloris (née
Peoples), who worked in banking, and
James R. Jordan, Sr., an equipment
supervisor. His family moved to
Wilmington, North Carolina, when he
was a toddler. Jordan attended Emsley
A. Laney High School in Wilmington,
where he anchored his athletic career
by playing baseball, football, and
basketball. He tried out for the varsity
basketball team during his sophomore
year, but at 5’11” (1.80 m), he was
deemed too short to play at that level.
His taller friend, Harvest Leroy Smith,
was the only sophomore to make the
team.
Motivated to prove his worth, Jordan
became the star of Laney’s junior
varsity squad, and tallied several
40 point games. The following summer,
he grew four inches (10 cm) and
trained rigorously. Upon earning a spot
on the varsity roster, Jordan averaged
about 20 points per game over his
final two seasons of high school play.
As a senior, he was selected to the
McDonald’s All-American Team after
averaging a triple-double: 29.2 points,
11.6 rebounds, and 10.1 assists.
In 1981, Jordan earned a basketball
scholarship to the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he
majored in cultural geography. As a
freshman in coach Dean Smith’s team-
oriented system, he was named ACC
Freshman of the Year after he averaged
13.4 points per game (ppg) on 53.4%
shooting (field goal percentage). He
made the game-winning jump shot in
the 1982 NCAA Championship game
against Georgetown, which was led by
future NBA rival Patrick Ewing.
Jordan later described this shot as
the major turning point in his basketball
career. During his three seasons at
North Carolina, he averaged
17.7 ppg on 54.0% shooting, and
added 5.0 rebounds per game (rpg).
He was selected by consensus to the
NCAA All-American First Team in both
his sophomore (1983) and junior (1984)
seasons. After winning the Naismith
and the Wooden College Player of
the Year awards in 1984, Jordan left
North Carolina one year before his
scheduled graduation to enter the 1984
NBA Draft. The Chicago Bulls selected
Jordan with the third overall pick, after
Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets)
and Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers).
Jordan returned to North Carolina to
complete his degree in 1986.
During his first season in the NBA,
Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5%
shooting. He quickly became a fan
favorite even in opposing arenas,
and appeared on the cover of Sports
Illustrated with the heading “A Star
is Born” just over a month into his
professional career. Jordan was also
voted in as an All-Star starter by the
fans in his rookie season. Controversy
arose before the All-Star game when
word surfaced that several veteran
players, led by Isiah Thomas, were
upset by the amount of attention
Jordan was receiving. This led to a
so called “freeze-out” on Jordan,
where players refused to pass him
the ball throughout the game.[1] The
controversy left Jordan relatively
unaffected when he returned to regular
season play, and he would go on to
be voted Rookie of the Year. The Bulls
finished the season 38–44, and lost
in the first round of the playoffs in four
games to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Jordan’s second season was cut short
by a broken foot which caused him
to miss 64 games. Despite Jordan’s
injury and a 30–52 record, the Bulls
made the playoffs. Jordan recovered in
time to participate in the playoffs and
performed well upon his return. Against
a 1985–86 Boston Celtics team that is
often considered one of the greatest
in NBA history, Jordan set the still-
unbroken record for points in a playoff
game with 63 in Game 2. The Celtics,
however, managed to sweep the series.
Jordan had recovered completely by
the 1986–87 season, and had one
of the most prolific scoring seasons
in NBA history. He became the only
player other than Wilt Chamberlain
to score 3,000 points in a season,
averaging a league high 37.1 points on
48.2% shooting. In addition, Jordan
demonstrated his defensive prowess,
as he became the first player in NBA
history to record 200 steals and 100
blocks in a season. Despite Jordan’s
success, Magic Johnson won the
league’s Most Valuable Player Award.
The Bulls reached 40 wins, and
advanced to the playoffs for the third
consecutive year. However, they were
again swept by the Celtics.
Jordan led the league in scoring again
in the 1987–88 season, averaging 35.0
ppg on 53.5% shooting and won his
first league MVP award. He was also
named the Defensive Player of the Year,
as he had averaged 1.6 blocks and a
league high 3.16 steals per game.The
Bulls finished 50–32, and made it out
of the first round of the playoffs for the
first time in Jordan’s career, as they
defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five
games. However, the Bulls then lost
in five games to the more experienced
Detroit Pistons, who were led by
Isiah Thomas and a group of physical
players known as the “Bad Boys”.
In the 1988–89 season, Jordan again
led the league in scoring, averaging
32.5 ppg on 53.8% shooting from the
field, along with 8 rpg and 8 assists
per game (apg). The Bulls finished with
a 47–35 record, and advanced to the
Eastern Conference Finals, defeating
the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York
Knicks along the way. The Cavaliers
series included a career highlight for
Jordan when he hit a series-winning
shot over Craig Ehlo in the closing
moments of the deciding fifth game of
the series. However, the Pistons again
defeated the Bulls, this time in six
games, by utilizing their “Jordan Rules”
method of guarding Jordan, which
consisted of double and triple teaming
him every time he touched the ball.
The Bulls entered the 1989–90 season
as a team on the rise, with their core
group of Jordan and young improving
players like Scottie Pippen and Horace
Grant, and under the guidance of new
coach Phil Jackson. Jordan averaged
a league leading 33.6 ppg on 52.6%
shooting, to go with 6.9 rpg and 6.3
apg in leading the Bulls to a 55–27
record. They again advanced to the
Eastern Conference Finals beating
the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers en
route. However, despite pushing the
series to seven games, the Bulls lost
to the Pistons for the third consecutive
season.
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In the 1990–91 season, Jordan won
his second MVP award after averaging
31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg,
and 5.5 apg for the regular season.
The Bulls finished in first place in their
division for the first time in 16 years
and set a franchise record with 61 wins
in the regular season. With Scottie
Pippen developing into an All-Star,
the Bulls elevated their play. The Bulls
defeated the New York Knicks and the
Philadelphia 76ers in the opening two
rounds of the playoffs. They advanced
to the Eastern Conference Finals where
their rival, the Detroit Pistons, awaited
them. However, this time the Bulls beat
the Pistons in a surprising sweep. In an
unusual ending to the fourth and final
game, Isiah Thomas led his team off
the court before the final minute had
concluded. Most of the Pistons went
directly to their locker room instead of
shaking hands with the Bulls.
The Bulls compiled an outstanding
15–2 record during the playoffs, and
advanced to the NBA Finals for the
first time in franchise history, where
they beat the Los Angeles Lakers four
games to one. Perhaps the best known
moment of the series came in Game
2 when, attempting a dunk, Jordan
avoided a potential Sam Perkins block
by switching the ball from his right
hand to his left in mid-air to lay the shot
in. In his first Finals appearance, Jordan
posted per game averages of 31.2
points on 56% shooting from the field,
11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals
and 1.4 blocks. Jordan won his first
NBA Finals MVP award, and he cried
while holding the NBA Finals trophy.
FIRst thRee-peAt
Jordan and the Bulls continued their
dominance in the 1991–92 season,
establishing a 67–15 record, topping
their franchise record from 1990–91.
Jordan won his second consecutive
MVP award with averages of 30.1
points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists
per game on 52% shooting. After
winning a physical 7-game series over
the New York Knicks in the second
round of the playoffs and finishing
off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the
Conference Finals in 6 games, the Bulls
met Clyde Drexler and the Portland
Trail Blazers in the Finals. The media,
hoping to recreate a Magic-Bird rivalry,
highlighted the similarities between
“Air” Jordan and Clyde “The Glide”
during the pre-Finals hype.
In the first game, Jordan scored a
Finals-record 35 points in the first half,
including a record-setting six three-
point field goals. After the sixth three-
pointer, he jogged down the court
shrugging as he looked courtside. Marv
Albert, who broadcast the game, later
stated that it was as if Jordan was
saying, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
The Bulls went on to win Game 1, and
defeat the Blazers in six games. Jordan
was named Finals MVP for the second
year in a row and finished the series
averaging 35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.5
apg, while shooting 53% from the floor.
In 1992–93, despite a 32.6 ppg, 6.7
rpg and 5.5 apg campaign, Jordan’s
streak of consecutive MVP seasons
ended as he lost the award to his
friend Charles Barkley. Coincidentally,
Jordan and the Bulls met Barkley and
his Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA
Finals. The Bulls captured their third
consecutive NBA championship on a
game-winning shot by John Paxson
and a last-second block by Horace
Grant, but Jordan was once again
Chicago’s catalyst.
He averaged a Finals-record 41.0
ppg during the six-game series, and
became the first player in NBA history
to win three straight Finals MVP
awards. He scored more than 30 points
in every game of the series, including
40 or more points in 4 consecutive
games. With his third Finals triumph,
Jordan capped off a seven-year run
where he attained seven scoring titles
and three championships, but there
were signs that Jordan was tiring of his
massive celebrity and all of the non-
basketball hassles in his life.
In the 1993–94 season, the Jordan-less
Bulls notched a 55–27 record, and lost
to the New York Knicks in the second
round of the playoffs. But the 1994–95
version of the Bulls was a shell of the
championship squad of just two years
earlier. Struggling at mid-season to
ensure a spot in the playoffs, Chicago
was 31–31 at one point in mid-March.
The team received a lift, however, when
Jordan decided to return to the NBA
for the Bulls.
On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced
his return to the NBA through a pithy
press release: “I’m back.” The next
day, Jordan donned jersey number 45
(his number with the Barons), as his
familiar 23 had been retired in his honor
following his first retirement. He took
to the court with the Bulls to face the
Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring
19 points. The game had the highest
Nielsen rating of a regular season NBA
game since 1975.
Although he had not played in an NBA
game in a year and a half, Jordan
played well upon his return, making
a game-winning jump shot against
Atlanta in his fourth game back and
scoring 55 points in a game against
the Knicks at Madison Square Garden
on March 28, 1995. Boosted by
Jordan’s comeback, the Bulls made the
playoffs and advanced to the Eastern
Conference Semi-finals against the
Orlando Magic. At the end of the first
game of the series, though, Orlando’s
Nick Anderson would strip Jordan from
behind, leading to the game-winning
basket for the Magic; he would later
comment that Jordan “didn’t look like
the old Michael Jordan”, after which
Jordan returned to wearing his old
number (23). Jordan averaged 31
points per game in that series, but
Orlando prevailed in six games.
“I’M bAck”
JoRdAn 3
The Air Jordan 3 hit the streets in 1988.
To follow up an incredible year the year
before, a great pair of Jordan shoes
was needed and fulfilled.
Hatfield takes command
The Air Jordan 3 was the first of 14 Air
Jordans designed by Tinker Hatfield.
The Air Jordan 3 also carried more
of Jordan’s name on the shoe since
the man himself was an active part of
the design of the shoe. The shoe was
the perfect example of Tinker’s skill to
blend fashion with function.
a first of many
The Air Jordan 3 broke ground for
many different aspects of the Nike Air
Jordan shoe line. First, the Air Jordan 3
featured the “Jumpman” on the tongue
of the shoe. This silhouette of Jordan
was to celebrate and commemorate
his Slam Dunk Contest victory the
year before. Every Jordan after the
Air Jordan 3 features this Jumpman
as a focal point of the shoe as well as
became the new logo for the Air Jordan
line. The Air Jordan 3 was also the first
to feature a visible air unit. Lastly, the
Air Jordan 3 featured elephant print on
the upper. Though this material was
only used again on 1 other model, it set
a standard that the Jordan shoes are
as much fashionable as functional.
The Air Jordan 3 also is one of the
most famous shoes in the Air Jordan
lineup. On many polls, the Air Jordan
3 finishes as the greatest sneaker of all
time.
marketing monster
Nike created a personality ad campaign
featuring the Mars Blackmon character
who was created and played by
famous director and actor Spike Lee.
This campaign followed Air Jordan for a
couple of years and is definitely one of
the most appreciated Nike commercial
series through all time.
Freshly motivated by the playoff defeat,
Jordan trained aggressively for the
1995–96 season. Strengthened by
the addition of rebound specialist
Dennis Rodman, the Bulls dominated
the league, starting the season 41–3,
and eventually finishing with the best
regular season record in NBA history:
72–10. Jordan led the league in
scoring with 30.4 ppg, and won the
league’s regular season and All-Star
Game MVP awards. In the playoffs,
the Bulls lost only three games in
four series, defeating the Seattle
SuperSonics in the NBA Finals to win
the championship. Jordan was named
Finals MVP for a record fourth time,
surpassing Magic Johnson’s three
Finals MVP awards. He also achieved
only the second sweep of the MVP
Awards in the All-Star Game, regular
season and NBA Finals, duplicating
Willis Reed’s feat during the 1969–70
season. Because this was Jordan’s first
championship since his father’s death,
and it was won on Father’s Day, Jordan
reacted very emotionally upon winning
the title, including a memorable scene
of him sobbing on the locker room floor
with the game ball.
second thRee-peAt
In the 1996–97 season, the Bulls
started out 69–11, but narrowly missed
out on a second consecutive 70-
win season by losing their final two
games to finish 69–13. However, this
year Jordan was beaten for the NBA
MVP Award by Karl Malone. The team
again advanced to the Finals, where
they faced Malone and the Utah Jazz.
The series against the Jazz featured
two of the more memorable clutch
moments of Jordan’s career. He won
Game 1 for the Bulls with a buzzer-
beating jump shot. In Game 5, with the
series tied 2–2, Jordan played despite
being feverish and dehydrated from
a stomach virus. In what is known
as the “flu game”, Jordan scored 38
points including the game-deciding
three-pointer with less than a minute
remaining. The Bulls won 90–88 and
went on to win the series in six games.
For the fifth time in as many Finals
appearances, Jordan received the
Finals MVP award. During the 1997
NBA All-Star Game, Jordan posted
the first triple double in All-Star Game
history in a victorious effort; however,
he did not receive the MVP award.
Jordan and the Bulls compiled a
62–20 record in the 1997–98 season.
Jordan led the league with 28.7 points
per game, securing his fifth regular-
season MVP award, plus honors for
All-NBA First Team, First Defensive
Team and the All-Star Game MVP. The
Bulls captured the Eastern Conference
Championship for a third straight
season, including surviving a grueling
seven-game series with Reggie
Miller’s Indiana Pacers in the Eastern
Conference Finals; it was the first time
Jordan had played in a Game 7 since
the 1992 series with the Knicks. After
prevailing, they moved on for a rematch
with the Jazz in the Finals.
The Bulls returned to Utah for Game
6 on June 14, 1998 leading the series
3–2. Jordan executed a series of plays,
considered to be one of the greatest
clutch performances in NBA Finals
history. With the Bulls trailing 86–83
with 40 seconds remaining, coach
Jackson called a timeout. When play
resumed, Jordan received the inbound
pass, drove to the basket, and hit a
layup over several Jazz defenders.
The Jazz brought the ball upcourt and
passed the ball to forward Karl Malone,
who was set up in the low post and
was being guarded by Rodman.
Malone jostled with Rodman and
caught the pass, but Jordan cut behind
him and swatted the ball out of his
hands for a steal.[59] Jordan then
slowly dribbled upcourt and paused at
the top of the key, eyeing his defender,
Jazz guard Bryon Russell. With fewer
than 10 seconds remaining, Jordan
started to dribble right, then crossed
over to his left, possibly pushing off
Russell, although the officials did not
call a foul. Jordan then released what
would be the climactic shot of his
career.
After a desperation three-point shot
by John Stockton missed, Jordan
and the Bulls claimed their sixth NBA
championship, and secured a second
three-peat. Once again, Jordan was
voted the Finals MVP, having led all
scorers by averaging 33.5 points per
game, including 45 in the deciding
Game 6. Jordan’s six Finals MVPs
is a record; Shaquille O’Neal, Magic
Johnson, and Tim Duncan are tied
for second place with three apiece.
The 1998 Finals holds the highest
television rating of any Finals series in
history, and Game 6 holds the highest
television rating of any game in NBA
history.
JoRdAn 4
The Air Jordan 4 took the world by
storm in 1989. Along with a career
season came a career sneaker.
Tinker Hatfield once again designed
this shoe. The Air Jordan 4 featured
many new design concepts. First, the
straps on the side for increased ankle
support. It was nearly impossible for
MJ to roll his ankle in these shoes.
The Air Jordan 4 again featured the
air sole heel for dded cushioning and
a full length midsole. In the White/
Black-Cement, the shoe featured a
unique texturing nicknamed “Cookies
& Cream” for its striking resemblance.
The Air Jordan 4 was another
masterpiece to the Jordan lineup.
mike flies to new HeigHts
While wearing the Air Jordan 4, Michael
Jordan reached new points in his
career. Taking home another scoring
title with 32.5 points per game,
Jordan also appeared in the All-
Star Game, First Team NBA, and
All-Defense. This year was arguably
Jordan’s best year despite no
championship. It was in the Air Jordan
4′s that Jordan made “the shot” which
was a series winning shot at the buzzer
to advance the Bulls to the next round
in a do or die situation.
spike likes mike
Nike continued the Jordan 4
commercials with Mars Blackmon
(Spike Lee) and created the famous
Can/Can’t TV commercial.
Spike Lee really liked these shoes
personally and gave them some extra
promotion in his movie Do The Right
Thing. A classic scene for all AJ fans is
when one of the persons in the movie
gets his brand new AJ IV’s scuffed by
a bicycle rider and flips out about it,
places his shoe upon a fire-hydrant and
cleans it with a toothbrush. Rent the
movie today if you haven’t it!
JoRdAn 4
Jordan won numerous awards
and set many records during his
career. The following are some of his
achievements:
• Naismith Memorial Basketball
Hall of Fame Class of 2009
• 2 Olympic Gold Medals –
1984, 1992
• 6-time NBA Champion
• 6-time NBA Finals MVP
• 5-time NBA MVP
• 10 NBA Scoring Titles
• 3-time steals leader
• 3-time minutes leader
• 14 NBA All-Star Selections
• 3-time NBA All-Star Game MVP
• 11 All-NBA Selections
• 9 All-Defensive First Team Selections
• 2-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest
Champion – 1987, 1988
• NBA Rookie of the Year – 1984–85
• NBA Defensive Player of the Year –
1987–88
• ACC Freshman of the Year –
1981–82
• 2-time Consensus NCAA All-
American First Team – 1982–83,
1983–84
• ACC Men’s Basketball Player of the
Year – 1983–84
• USBWA College Player of the Year –
1983–84
• Naismith College Player of the Year –
1983–84
• John R. Wooden Award – 1983–84
• Adolph Rupp Trophy – 1983–84
• Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the
Year – 1991
• Named one of the 50 Greatest
Players in NBA History in 1996
• Ranked #1 by SLAM Magazine’s Top
50 Players of All-Time
• Ranked #1 by ESPN Sportscentury’s
Top 100 Athletes of the 20th century
• Elected to North Carolina Sports Hall
of Fame
honoRs And AwARds
JoRdAn 5The Air Jordan V (5) was released
in 1990. Phil Jackson took over as
head coach for the Bulls in the 89-
90 season. This gave the Bull’s an
extra boost and everything was flying.
Jordan kept on playing his game and
set a personal best when scoring 69
points in a game against the Cleveland
Cavaliers.
first flying design
Once again Hatfield came up with a
revolutionary design for the new shoe.
A few elements were picked up from
its predecessor but it featured a great
silver/reflex tounge and a clear/see-
through rubber sole which gave it a
totally unique look. Also there were
lacelocks which made it easy to strap
them on.
The design is rumoured to be inspired
by the WW2 Mustang fighter plane and
the most obvious elements that shows
this are the shark teeth shapes on the
midsole.
JoRdAn 10The Air Jordan 10 was released in
1994-95 despite Jordan’s absense
from the NBA. The Air Jordan 10
featured a different shape than the
previous Jordan shoes did.
not everyone plays like mike
Too bad for Mike (but good for all of his
followers), baseball went on strike thus
leaving Jordan hanging with nothing
to do – that is if he didn’t return to the
NBA. Sure enough, Jordan shocked
everyone when he returned from
retirement on March 19, 1995. Since
his jersey had been retired, he had to
go back onto the court wearing #45
until the technicalities were cleared out
of the way.
surprised nike?
It seemed as if Nike wasn’t expecting
to see Jordan back in the game so
soon. Nike started to re-release older
model’s of the Air Jordan series (Air
Jordan 1, Air Jordan 2, Air Jordan 3)
and the Air Jordan 10 soles featured
an honor or an award from each year
Michael had spent in the NBA.
JoRdAn 12The Air Jordan 12 was released in
1996-97 and were the first Air Jordan
shoes in the Jordan Brand line.
In this season, Jordan lost the MVP by
the narrowest margin in NBA history to
Karl Malone as he helped lead his Jazz
to the NBA Finals only to fall to Jordan
and the Bulls. Jordan wore the Air
Jordan 12’s while he took home his fifth
NBA title and fifth NBA Finals MVP.
love for Japan
The Air Jordan 12 featured something
very unique in terms of design. The
Air Jordan 12 upper was stitched to
resemble the Japanese Rising Sun flag.
The Air Jordan 12 also was the most
durable shoes out of the whole Jordan
shoe series. In addition to this, the Air
Jordan 12 provides the most ankle
support which was great for keeping
Jordan on the floor for the whole
season.
JoRdAn 13The Air Jordan 13 was released in
1997-98 which was the last season
that Jordan played for the Bulls.
While wearing the Air Jordan 13’s
Jordan broke Karemm Abdul-Jabbar’s
NBA record by scoring double-digits for
the 788th consecutive game. Jordan
also led the bulls to the franchise’s
sixth NBA Championship Title. Jordan
took home his sixth ring along with his
sixth Final MVP honor.
pantHer paws
Tinker Hatfield was the mastermind
behind the genius design of the Air
Jordan 13. The Air Jordan 13 is
regarded as the best designed Jordan
shoe by a large percentage of Jordan
sneaker fans. The Air Jordan 13
was the first and only Jordan shoes
to feature a hologram. The outsole
received inspiration from the paws of
a Panther. Jordan’s nickname on the
court from fellow NBA players was
“Black Cat” for his fast reflexes and
speed down the court.
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