The Air Jordan that Michael Jordan used at the great moments of his career
The 40th anniversary of the Air Jordan exit is a good time to remember the peak moments of Michael Jordan’s career and the sports shoes he had in each of them.
(Editor’s note: This article was originally published in April 2020)
Chicagobetween 1985 and 1998, it was a great place to be a fan of sports, despite the Cubs, which in those times were still adorable losers. The city of winds was the place that Michael Jordan He called his house, in which he celebrated six championships and in which he delighted us with his great individual feats.
For a teenager, he meant living a dream, having in his same city the best player in the world and being the first reception line of each of his flagship shoes.
Alejandro Orozco is a fan of Bulls and great connoisseur of the Air Jordanhe lived his childhood and adolescence in that Chicago of Jordan, the bulls and the dream shoes for millions of boys. Hence he has 26 of 34 editions of Air Jordan and always go for more.
“When he played, I only had a couple of shoes because they were very expensive, and my parents very wisely told me that they were not going to spend so much money on those,” Orozco recalls. “But later that I started working, I began to make my collection. What is my favorite? Well, I have no children, but I know that if you ask a father which is his favorite son, he will tell you that everyone is all the same, but the XIII have a special meaning because they are the only ones I had when he still played. The same thing happens to me with the six titles. There is no favorite.”
Read more: The Ranking of the Air Jordan, from 1 to XX9
Together with Orozco, we remember the peak moments of Jordan’s career and the shoes he had in each of them, in chronological order.
The North Carolina 1982 title basket
What was heated: Converse All-Star. With those, Jordan turned the basket that gave North Carolina the title about the Georgetown and Patrick Ewing’s holes, one of the players who later deprived a championship in the NBA. Later, and in tribute to his alma mater, Jordan created several Air Jordan models in blue and white blue.
Orozco: “This is the only historical play in which he does not have his own shoe, but it is a classic: the Converse All Star who made Dr. J famous with his great jump. It was a shot to the future ‘clutch’ player who was going to be Michael Jordan.” The Converse were the supreme brand at that time, and those who had the great players like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. ”
The 63 points in front of the Celtics in Playoffs of 1986
What was heated: Air Jordan I (White): “Tonight, God came to the world disguised as a basketball player”, in this way, the great Larry Bird recognized the greatness of the young Michael Jordan after his extraordinary performance before the powerful Celtics. Boston won that match in double extension en route to a sweep of three games and later I win the title of the NBA, but Bird, Nike and the rest of the world knew that a star was born.
Orozco: “That shoe is iconic. It was that of the first two years. It is the only Air Jordan that has the Nike logo. It is one of the best and most popular shoes, to the point that the Chuck Taylor has replaced as the best selling in history. I saw it once playing with those shoes in their last season with the Bulls. ‘Highlights’ of this game, notice that they are whites, because at that time, the bulls still did not have the tradition of bringing black shoes in playoffs. ”
Star game contest
What was heated: Air Jordan III. It was the ones he had during his first great moment in the NBA, even bigger than that defeat against the Celtics two years before: with all the reflectors about him, national television and the great Dominique Wilkins as his rival, Jordan Salta from the free throw line and executes his emblematic overturned. He took them the entire 1987-88 season and with these he won his first most valuable player prize.
Orozco: “It is one of the most comfortable shoes that I have had in my life. To play, to dress, for everything. It was the first of the Air Jordans that the ‘Jumpman’ use, which is the logo we see now. I do not remember seeing that moment because it was very small, but I bought them later, and I loved them.
The shot in 1989
What was heated: Air Jordan IV. Jordan receives the ball on the right side, controls it with the left and reaches his danger zone at the top of the key, lifts, pulls on Craig ehlo and … the bulls advance their way to their first appearance in the East Finals. The celebration after the shot is one of Jordan’s classic moments.
Orozco: “Naturally, they were one of the best -selling and most sought -sought shoes of the collectors and especially of the fans of the Bulls. That victory changed the future of two franchises, there they reached the first final of the East. If the fault maybe the 90s team were not the bulls. The Bulls had changed to Charles Oakley, Jordan was not at all happy, and who knows, if he failed, he would Chicago.
What was heated: Air Jordan V White. Jordan scored the greatest amount of points of his career, leaving the field 23-37 and 21-23 from the free throw line in the 117-113 victory of the Bulls on Cleveland in extra time in 1990.
Orozco: “The V is a very comfortable shoe and it is iconic because it received a tremendous advertising. We saw them in the remembered announcement with Spike Lee; we also saw them with Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I was a child, and I remember more so than for the game itself.”
The Hand Pass before Lakers
What was heated: Air Jordan VI, black version. In 1991, Michael goes for a dive, but realizes that he will not arrive, so – in the air – he decides to change his mind and look for another alternative. Still in the air, the ball is passed to the left hand and converts two points with a tray, leaving us all speechless. Everyone wanted their tennis.
Orozco: “It shows you its first great iconic play in the NBA finals. It was a pass of the torch of the spectacularity of Magic and Bird in the 80s, Michael Jordan, who would dominate the 90. This model is also remembered as the one I use in the play against the Knicks that escapes two defenders and the nail in front of Ewing.”
The ‘shrug game’
What was heated: “Air Jordan VII, black version. Michael wore six triples in six attempts in the first half in front of the Portland Trail Blazers in game 1 of the 1992 final. After a triple, he looks at Magic Johnson, who was a commentator and shrinks his shoulders as saying” what am I going to do, the ball continues to enter. ” Dimension in your game.
Orozco: “At that time of the dynasty they had tradition of wearing white shoes in the regular and black season in playoffs. With those also won the gold with the ‘Dream Team’, although that version was red, white and blue. For that time I was eight years old and I felt impressed. I thought, ‘This guy, when will he fail?'”
55 points on your return
What was heated: Air Jordan X. After several games with cold and hot performances on his return with number 45, Jordan was again the usual Jordan. On March 28, 1995, he scored 55 points against the Knicks in the Garden, hitting 21 of field and 10-11 from the free throw line.
Orozco: “This I remember that I saw him. There was still a grudge against the Knicks, because they eliminated us without Jordan in 1994. There we realized that we could prepare for another parade, because Jordan had not lost anything during his retirement. These remind me a lot of Scottie Pippen because when it was rumored that Michael was going to return, Scottie showed the sole to the camera as they are inviting him as they are inviting him as they are. He carries Jordan’s statue in front of United Center. ”
THE ‘FLU GAME’
What was heated: Air Jordan XII (black and red version). In game 5 of the 1997 finals against Utah, Michael appeared with a high fever, product of an influenza, but recovered enough to score 15 of his 38 points in the last quarter (and 17 in the second) and head the bulls to the bulls to an important victory. The game becomes known as ‘The Flu Game’, of which the image of Pippen is remembered almost loading Jordan to the bank.
Orozco: “I was in eighth grade and immediately wanted those shoes, because what one remembered was Michael leaving everything on the court, at the height of Utah. Those came in four different versions. record price.
The last shot
What was heated: Air Jordan XIV. The full play begins on the defensive side, when Jordan swipes a ball that Karl Malone receives under the basket, and stays with this. Already on the defensive side, towards Amague to penetrate, but after the most famous ‘Step Back’ in history (push -ups included), he writes the shot that gives the victory to the Bulls in game 6 of the 1998 finals.
Orozco: “Jordan was very fanatical of the Ferrari team, hence he has those winks towards Ferrari. It is another very comfortable shoe. That was the gold brooch, that is when his career ends with the Bulls. He only used that model in that game. In the postseason he had mostly the Air Jordan XIII. The ‘Sneakerheads’ always go out to buy them, precisely for that.
