After 40 Years Jordan Still Rules The NBA Finals
The first “Air Jordan” shoe came out in 1985, and Michael Jordan’s first trip to the championship came in 1991. Now, with the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks squaring off in the NBA finals, Jordan is taking center stage once again.
How could that be? Well, the two biggest superstars in this championship series are Jordan athletes. Furthermore, each of them have their own Jordan sneaker.
For the favored team, Jayson Tatum of the Celtics is a Jordan-endorsed player, and on the other side, so is Luka Dončić of the Mavs.
Jordan In The NBA Finals Once Again: Let’s Take A Closer Look
In #23’s days with the Chicago Bulls, the NBA protocol was very much that your sneakers matched the colors of your team’s uniforms. There was the average white sneaker that, for Jordan, would have hints of red and black, and then, in the playoffs, the black sneaker with red and white accents.
One could argue that the Jordans back in the early ’90s are cooler shoes than anything made today. In fact, the early Jordan sneaker models (versions 1 through 5) remain incredibly popular among youth today.
Nonetheless, a big difference you will see with Tatum and Dončić is that the Jordan kicks they will support will feature a wide-range of colorways. From pink to lime green, to fire red everything is allowed and is on the table.
For Tatum, he will likely wear the Tatum 2’s in each game. This is the latest model of his popular custom sneaker. Nowadays, instead of coming up with a new model every year, Jordan’s strategy is to make as many unique colorways of one model as possible. For example, earlier in the playoffs Tatum debuted the “Avocado Milkshake” color of this Tatum 2’s.
On the other side of the floor, Dončić will also be wearing his own custom shoe, simply called the Jordan Luka. Though there are some similarities, the Luka model is a different cut, more of a rounder shoe, which is probably by design to fit Dončić’s liking. He also writes “Gabriela” with a heart on the sole of his sneakers, as that is his baby daughter’s name. The Luka 3s are set to release in July.
It likely both stars will rotate their kicks and showcase different colorways throughout the series. Perhaps they will even debut a new variation, with Dončić showing off the 3s (although he has also worn both the 2s and 1s so far this playoff run). Regardless, both Tatum and Dončić’s sneakers will sport the bold and iconic “Jumpman” logo.
The Celtics/Mavs finals is bound to be a great matchup. It seems unfortunate that one of these star players and their teams have to lose. It’s anybody’s game, but what we do know is that Michael Jordan and his legendary brand will once again make themselves right at home in the finals and on the NBA’s biggest stage.
