Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan (right) and Seattle SuperSonics guard Gary Payton go for the loose ball during the third quarter of Game 2 of the 1996 NBA Finals at the United Center in Chicago. The Bulls lead the series 1-0. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/Jeff HAYNES
MANILA, Philippines — As iconic as Michael Jordan is, so are his sneakers.
And when it comes to the Jordan silhouettes, it’s the ones he wore during his legendary run with the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1998 that are considered grails in the sneaker culture.
Sneakerheads are torn as to which is the best Air Jordan model. Many say it’s the first one, some think it’s the 11s, while others have their own preferences.
But in 2014, Jordan himself had already made up his mind as far as his favorites are concerned.
“My favorites? It’s hard you know because it’s like saying which one of your kids do you like the most? 11s are my favorite, threes are my next favorite and probably the 12 or the 13 comes in third,” Jordan said during a 2014 ad that NBA2K dug up in its archives in the wake of the “The Last Dance” docuseries’ conclusion on Monday.
The Air Jordan 11 was one of the many masterpieces by designer Tinker Hatfield. It features patent leather and was created based on Jordan’s request to have a basketball sneaker that also goes well while wearing a tuxedo.
Jordan, wearing the No. 45, debuted the fan-favorite Concord 11s when he came out of retirement in 1995. It was also in the black and red (Bred) 11s where he won his fourth NBA championship on Father’s Day in 1996, his first since the tragic death of his father, James Jordan.
In the video, Jordan also said he used to wear brand new shoes every game.
“The reason I chose to do that is because if you ever was a kid, if you ever put those shoes on for the first time it’s like you feel energetic, you feel like you got something that you can actually showcase. I wanted that feeling everyday.”
One of the most interesting parts was in the fifth episode when Jordan revealed he had no intention of signing with Nike and preferred to join Adidas instead.