It’s never a bad time to look back on Michael Jordan‘s greatness. In the 80s, his individual skills destroyed those trying to guard him. Then in the 90s, his Bulls dominated the entire League. In the six seasons Mike won titles, his teams were a combined 478-130, including the playoffs.
478 wins in six seasons. Other-worldly.
Of course, MJ was breaking hearts wearing the most celebrated signature sneaker line ever. Yeah, most of them are beautifully designed and constructed (shout out to Tinker Hatfield, always), but it was Mike’s on-court performance that catapulted the Jordan Brand into the sneaker stratosphere.
While he was averaging 33.1 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in 35 Finals games, His Airness was rocking the meanest black colorways of his sneakers. The VI, VII, VIII, XI and XIV were all done-up in black for the playoffs, catching everyone’s eyes. Must’ve been terrifying to be Danny Ainge and see Mike coming at you, full-speed, in the all-black Air Jordan VII.
Hatfield’s inspiration for MJ’s kicks ranged from fighter jets to panthers, making the sneakers even more intimidating. When Tinker saw Mike play, he saw him moving as fast as a hungry jungle cat, bearing down from the sky with as much power as an F-22 Raptor. And if Tinker could see that from off the floor, it’s a sure bet the defenders on the court saw it too.
Run through the gallery above to see the sneakers that Mike was wearing in each game he clinched a title.
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Max Resetar is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @maxresetar. Photos courtesy of Getty Images.
