Back In The Day NBA

Michael Jordan's Best-Selling Shoe Once Resulted In $5,000 Fine From NBA

Shandel Richardson

June 12, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan (23), right, goes up against Utah Jazz player Bryon Russell (3) in Game 5 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY
June 12, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan (23), right, goes up against Utah Jazz player Bryon Russell (3) in Game 5 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY / Anne Ryan-USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC
In this story:

NBA legend Michael Jordan remains the face of Nike.

When he was drafted in 1985, he basically led the shoe company to new heights. It went from national to global after the addition of Jordan.

The Air Jordan shoe remains one of the most popular shoes around. But many forget it was once considered a violation when Jordan wore them in the NBA. Jordan discussed it many years ago while appearing on the David Letterman show.

Michael Jordan Jokes About Color on Live TV 🤔😳 #NBA #BASKETBALL #michaeljordan #kobebryant #kobe #motivation #reelsfb #reelsvideo #reelsviral #fyp #love #fbreels #usa #art #funny #foryou #reelsusa

Posted by Layup Legends on Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Here's the exchange:

Letterman: "Now, why wouldn't they let you wear it, just because it's ugly?"

Jordan: "I agree with you, they are ugly?"

Letterman: "Wait a minute, didn't you help design them?"

Jordan: "It's the shoe, not the color."

When Letterman the reason for the ban.

Jordan: "It didn't have any white in it."

Letterman: "Well, neither does the NBA."

The NBA fined Jordan $5,000 each game he wore the shoes because it violated the dress code. The positive was Nike agreed to pay all the fines. The shoe has since become the most iconic in sports history. From 1984, it is one of the most coveted shoes around.

The shoe remains relevant in multiple debates. Some use it to say Jordan is the GOAT because all players after him have worn his shoes during their play days. Even LeBron James, who is in most of these conversations, wears Jordans.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

Follow our updates on Facebook

X: @BackInTheDayNBA

Published
Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com