Back In The Day NBA

Will Another NBA Player Ever Catch Michael Jordan's Shoe Game?

Shandel Richardson

June 16, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan , left, sits with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley during a rally to celebrate the Bulls' sixth championship in Grant Park. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY
June 16, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan , left, sits with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley during a rally to celebrate the Bulls' sixth championship in Grant Park. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY / Anne Ryan-USA TODAY via Imagn Co
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In the 1990s, Gatorade coined the phrase, "Be Like Mike" in reference to pitchman Michael Jordan.

Since, there have been athletes to market food and drink products similarly to Jordan. There is one area, however, no one has come close to touching Jordan.

The shoe game.

For 40 years, Jordan has dominated. The latest reminder was Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young signing with the Jordan Brand Friday morning. It means Jordan is still going strong, maybe even stronger.

“This brand embodies basketball, style, a desire to win and the desire to be great,” Young told ESPN's Nick DePaula.

Jordan's longevity in this area is more amazing than LeBron James' 22-year career of playing at a high level. At 39, James is still one of the today's top 10 players. His dunk Thursday night over the Orlando Magic's Jonathan Isaac was proof of that.

But even James' run had its flaws. He was swept in the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets. He's been in the Play-In Tournament. He's had bad games.

But not Jordan's shoe game. It is undefeated. In shoe terms, he is the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Untouchable.

The Jordan Brand is comparable to Michael Jackson's legacy. Today, kids who weren't alive when Jackson performed are still huge fans. The same with Jordan's shoes.

It is the only slam dunk he has in the debate against James as the greatest player of all time. Sure, Jordan has more rings but fans can say James had more appearances.

But James has no answer in the shoe game. It will forever belong to Jordan.

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

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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