Welcome back! Last week we began our brief history of the Air Jordan sneaker brand, starting with the very first pair, made exclusively for Michael Jordan and worn during his pro NBA games with the Chicago Bulls, all the way to him becoming a household name by the 90s, and the Air Jordans sneakers being featured in TV popular culture. Now we have reached a pivotal moment in the history of Air Jordans, in 1991.
Since joining the Chicago Bulls 7 years prior, the team had yet to win an NBA Championship with Jordan. But in 1991 the Bulls, led by coach and ex-NBA power forward Phil Jackson, won the championship for the first time in decades! Emotional images of Jordan cradling the trophy with his father became iconic, as did the pair of Air Jordan 6s he had on his feet! The Jordans craze took the national by storm as every sneakerhead wanted to be seen in a pair of championship winning Air Jordan 6s. Incredibly, Jordan and the Bulls went on to repeat this success in 1992, winning the Championship and seeing the Air Jordan 7 pair skyrocket in popularity. They then went on to make history with the “threepeat”, something nobody had predicted for the Bulls, with their third back-to-back NBA win in 1993. This achievement was market by the Air Jordan 8.
Following this incredible storm of success was a very sad period in Jordan’s life. Following the passing of his father, MJ declared that he was retiring from the NBA and stunned the world by stating he would follow his dream of becoming a baseball player. The sneaker world was shook, and the Air Jordans 9 and 10 pairs were overshadowed by a doubt in the future of the brand.
Thankfully, Jordan’s retirement from the NBA didn’t last, and in 1985 he released a now-famous press release containing only two words: “I’m back.” MJ returned to the Bulls to repeat history, bringing them their first championship win since his departure and revamping the brand’s popularity with the Air Jordan 11. The Air Jordan 12s followed in 1997, becoming synonymous with the infamous “flu game” in which Jordan was sick with food poisoning but still went on to help the Bulls retain the title. Finally, in 1998, the Bulls re-made history with their repeated ‘threepeat’ won with a climactic shot from MJ in the last 10 seconds. This iconic event cemented Jordan’s place as one of the greatest NBA players of all time and the popularity of Air Jordans for decades to come.