Celebrating 40 Years of Jordan Brand in the NBA Finals
The first “Air Jordan” shoe debuted in 1985, and Michael Jordan made his first trip to the championship in 1991. Now, with the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks competing in the NBA Finals, Jordan’s presence is being felt once again.
How is that possible? The biggest stars in this championship series are Jordan athletes, and each has their own signature Jordan sneakers.
For the favored team, Jayson Tatum of the Celtics is a Jordan-endorsed player, and on the opposing side, so is Luka Dončić of the Mavericks.
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During Jordan’s time with the Chicago Bulls, NBA protocol dictated that sneakers matched the team’s uniform colors. Jordan’s sneakers featured white with hints of red and black during the regular season, and black with red and white accents during the playoffs.
Many would argue that the Jordans from the early ’90s are still cooler than today’s models. Early Jordan sneaker versions (1 through 5) remain popular among young people.
A noticeable difference with Tatum and Dončić today is that their Jordan sneakers come in a wide range of colors. From pink to lime green to fire red, anything goes.
Tatum will likely wear the Tatum 2s during the finals, the latest model of his custom sneakers. Instead of releasing a new model every year, Jordan’s strategy now is to produce many unique colorways of one model. For example, Tatum recently debuted the “Avocado Milkshake” color of his Tatum 2s.
On the other side, Dončić will wear his custom shoe, the Jordan Luka. Though similar in some ways, the Luka model has a different cut, designed to fit Dončić’s preferences. He also writes “Gabriela” with a heart on the sole of his sneakers, after his baby daughter. The Luka 3s are set to release in July.
Both stars will likely rotate their sneakers and showcase different colorways throughout the series. They might even debut new variations, with Dončić potentially showing off the 3s (although he has also worn the 2s and 1s during this playoff run). Regardless, Tatum and Dončić’s sneakers will feature the bold and iconic “Jumpman” logo.
The Celtics vs. Mavericks finals promise to be an exciting matchup. It’s unfortunate that one of these star players and their teams will have to lose. It’s anybody’s game, but we do know that Michael Jordan and his legendary brand will once again be at home on the NBA’s biggest stage.
