Michael Jordan during a Wizards preseason game against the Detroit Pistons, Oct. While Mike made it a point to add energy to models old and new from the Air Jordan lineage, the two-year stint in DC is almost unmentioned where modern sneaker storytelling exists. Depsite putting up strong stats and impressive durability at an older age, injuries still plagued the star while team turmoil kept the club out of the playoffs for each season of his return. The charitable comeback to the court would start as a feel-good story for fans around the world however, it would ultimately end in dissapointment. Over the course of the preseason, MJ kept his ’88 homage in rotation before breaking out the all-new Air Jordan 17 for the season opener in Madison Square Garden. ![]() However, time revealed copper hits on the eyelets and Jumpman logo, proving they were effectively one-offs made specifically for MJ’s comeback. (AFP via Getty Images)įor those in the know working retail or scavenging NikeTalk, it appeared that Mike’s 41-point performance in a Tinker Hatfield classic was product marketing for the brand’s Fall/Winter collection.įrom afar, the kicks on court looked just the “True Blue” Air Jordan 3 style set to arrive at retail that November. Michael Jordan drives against New Jersey Nets forward Richard Jefferson during a preseason game on Oct. Instantly, sneakerheads had something new and exciting to talk about. Just days into his DC duties, he was already doing the same. Notably, MJ used his last season in Chicago to rotate signature styles from his new namesake company while also wear-testing new Jumpman models and even breaking out old favorites. Despite winning only 19 games the year prior, Wizards tickets sold out for all of Washington’s home games and across the league for that special chance to see MJ lace ’em up again.Īnd while Jordan’s return was a breath of fresh air for hoop heads and a timely distraction for a nation in distress, it was also riveting for fans focused on footwear. Not only was Mike back on court - he was lighting it up. In DC and around the country, fans were astounded. “He was still able to keep people on the edge of their seats.” ![]() “At 40 years old, he was giving people 50 and 51,” Gentry Humphrey, former VP of Jordan Brand, told Boardroom in 2021. Pulling out a pair of brand-new Air Jordan 3s, a famed favorite first seen in 1988, Mike put on a vintage performance, pouring in 41 points in 33 minutes of action. ![]() 20, 2001, Michael made his home debut in front of a sellout crowd in Washington, DC.
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