Six Years, Six Shoes, Six Rings — Michael Jordan’s Championship Feet

Even the greatest of all time didn’t win it all right away. Michael Jordan didn’t win a playoff series until his fourth season, didn’t reach the Conference Finals until his fifth, and didn’t play in an NBA Finals game until his seventh. Of course, once he did reach the Finals, he didn’t let go, winning six championships in eight seasons (and he was retired for 1 3/4 of the seasons he didn’t win). Along the way, he denied many worthy adversaries — Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Shawn Kemp, Reggie Miller — the glory of winning an NBA title.

Last week Friday, at his long-awaited Hall of Fame induction, he delivered a cruel and vindictive and oddly bitter-sounding speech that reminded them all of that fact. In an ironic touch, Stockton, inducted on the same day, seemed more at peace with his ‘failures‘ than Jordan did with his successes.

But yes, Michael Jordan, in the end, won six championships in eight seasons over five different franchises. A couple of years ago, Jordan Brand released the “6 Rings,” a hybrid of the six shoes he won championships in. Which was a nice gesture and all, but nothing beats the originals. In honor of the GOAT’s Hall of Fame induction, we take a look back.

Championship No. 1

The Matchup: Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Shoe: Air Jordan VI
The Clincher: Game Five, June 12th 1991
Great Western Forum, Inglewood CA

THE SERIES:
Hindsight is a funny thing. When we look back at Michael Jordan’s first
championship in 1991 now, we see the start of the first three-peat, the
beginnings of a dynasty that would last the better part of a decade.
But on June 1st, the eve of Game One, nothing was guaranteed.

Despite
finally knocking off the Detroit Pistons, their arch-rivals, all the
Chicago Bulls had earned was a right to square off against 31-year-old
Magic Johnson and his Los Angeles Lakers. The following day, that point
was driven home by a last-minute Sam Perkins three-pointer, as the Lakers took Game One at Chicago Stadium, and with it, the home court advantage.

As
it turned out, that first punch would also be the Lakers’s last. The
Bulls took Game Two in a 21-point rout, and went on to win the series
in five games, celebrating on the Lakers’s home floor. The 28-year-old Jordan was the Finals MVP.

THE SHOES:
It took Tinker Hatfield less time to win a title than it did Jordan.
The Air Jordan VI was Hatfield’s fourth Air Jordan design,
incorporating many elements that would become signatures – clear
outsole rubber, a clean toe (with no additional protective strip of
leather or nubuck), and of course the Jumpman. Finger holes in the
tongue and a strap across the back made it the easiest Air Jordan to
put on and take off. But on June 12th, 1991, it took on much more
significance than that.

Championship No. 2

The Matchup: Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers
The Shoe: Air Jordan VII
The Clincher: Game Six, June 14th 1992
Chicago Stadium, Chicago IL

THE SERIES: The
Portland Trail Blazers were hungry. In 1990, they reached the Finals
only to be dispatched by the Detroit Pistons in five games. In 1991,
they finished with the League’s best record, but were upset by the Los
Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. So when they returned
to the Finals in 1992, they knew that this was their time.

Only no one told Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. In Game One in Chicago, Jordan set a Playoffs record by scoring 35 points in the first half,
including six three-pointers (which was also a record). On the sixth,
he simply turned to the announcers and shrugged his shoulders, as if to
say “I don’t know, either.” Never an exceptional three-point shooter,
Jordan simply took advantage of the space provided by defenders Clyde
Drexler and Danny Ainge. The Bulls would go on to win the series in six games – the only championship they’d clinch at old Chicago Stadium.

THE SHOE: Tinker
Hatfield got the idea when waterskiing. Feet encased in neoprene
booties, he suddenly thought “why don’t sneakers fit like this?” And thus Huarache was born.
The Air Jordan VII wasn’t technically part of the Huarache line, but
with its minimalist upper and snug-fitting neoprene elements, it did
away with everything that was unnecessary. And not only did it win an
NBA Championship and an Olympic gold medal, but Bugs Bunny liked it, too.

Championship No. 3

The Matchup: Chicago Bulls vs. Phoenix Suns
The Shoe: Air Jordan VIII
The Clincher: Game Six, June 20th 1993
America West Arena, Phoenix AZ

THE SERIES:
For the third year in a row, the NBA Finals would feature the NBA MVP.
And for the first year, that player was not Michael Jordan. In his
first year with the Phoenix Suns, Charles Barkley
had averaged 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists. Surrounded by
All-Star level talent in Dan Majerle and Kevin Johnson, Barkley led the
Suns to a League-best 62 wins, earning home-court advantage throughout
the playoffs. They needed that home court, going the distance in two of
their first playoff series.

It didn’t matter in the Finals. The Bulls arrived in Phoenix and promptly won the first two games. The third game, in Chicago, was a triple-overtime dogfight,
with the Suns emerging on top and saving themselves from a potential
sweep. Game Four would be the only game won by the home team, as Jordan
willed the Bulls to victory, scoring 55 points. Four nights later, he would lift his third championship trophy, as well as his third Finals MVP.

THE SHOES: If
the Air Jordan VII best represented the tenets of minimalism, then the
Air Jordan VIII was a perfect example of maximalism. From the furry
embroidered patch on the tongue to the criss-crossing Velcro straps to
the overstuffed ankle collar, the VIII was everything the VII was not –
bulky, busy, massive. The whimsical brush-stroke design on the outsole
and heel counter only drew further attention to the shoes. So did
another championship.

Championship No. 4

The Matchup: Chicago Bulls vs. Seattle Supersonics
The Shoe: Air Jordan XI
The Clincher: Game Six, June 16th 1996
United Center, Chicago IL

THE SERIES:
In any other season, the Seattle Supersonics’s 64 wins would have
easily been the League’s best. But 1996 wasn’t just any other season.
After a year-and-a-half layoff, Michael Jordan had returned from
retirement wearing the 4-5, only to find himself wanting. In the 1995
Playoffs, his Bulls lost to the Orlando Magic, and Jordan himself was clearly a different player. He changed back to his familiar 23, earning himself a fine in the process, but it made no difference. He could only watch as the Magic celebrated on the Bulls’s home floor. They moved on, he did not.

That
summer was dedicated to vengeance. Working out, getting better. The
Bulls added the eccentric yet brilliant Dennis Rodman, and embarked on their greatest-ever season, going 72-10 and losing just one playoff game on the way to the Finals.

Once
there, it looked like more of the same. They beat the Sonics by 17 in
Game One and 22 in Game Three, going up 3-0. But led by brash guard
Gary Payton and otherworldly forward Shawn Kemp (at 26, perhaps the best player in the series), the Sonics came roaring back, blowing out the Bulls by 21 in Game Four and 11 in Game Five. But on Father’s Day and at home, the Bulls would not be denied.
Rodman tied his own Finals record, pulling down 11 offensive boards.
And while Jordan scored just 22 points on 5-19 shooting, he cemented
his fourth Finals MVP and his fourth NBA Championship.

THE SHOE: Jordan
had actually premiered the Air Jordan XI in the previous year’s series
against the Orlando Magic, in both the black/white/dark concord and
black/black/royal “Space Jam” colorway (which, I feel, is somewhat
misnamed since he hadn’t actually filmed Space Jam
yet). But it got even more shine, literally and figuratively, in ’96.
The patent rand, inspired by – of all things – a lawnmower, for its
indestructibility, gleamed even brighter under those Finals lights.
With its carbon springplate, ballistic mesh upper and translucent
outsole that seemed to barely touch the hardwood, the Air Jordan XI was
futuristic then, and now, 13 years later, is still ahead of its time.
It’s arguably Tinker Hatfield’s finest creation.

Championship No. 5

The Matchup: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz
The Shoe: Air Jordan XII
The Clincher: Game Six, June 13th 1997
United Center, Chicago IL

THE SERIES:
Once again, the regular-season MVP was in the NBA Finals, and once
again, it wasn’t Michael Jordan. Despite leading the Bulls to a
league-best 69-13 record and once again leading the League in scoring
at 29.6 ppg, Michael Jordan lost out to Utah Jazz power forward Karl
Malone. And thanks to a last-second three pointer by John Stockton in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals,
Jordan would again get his chance at revenge. It would be his fifth NBA
Finals, and his fifth different Western Conference opponent.

This
time, the home court advantage held. Chicago won the first two games at
home, and Utah won the next two at the Delta Center, including a 78-73 Game Four slugfest where the Jazz scored the game’s final nine points.

But
then came Game Five. Jordan had awakened the day before in poor shape,
suffering from either the flu or food poisoning. The day of the game,
he was still nauseous and weak. But knowing his team needed the
victory, he turned in one of the most courageous performances of his career,
scoring 38 points in 44 minutes, collapsing into Scottie Pippen’s arms
when the victory was finally secured. Two days later, at home, his 39 points secured championship and Finals MVP number five.

THE SHOES: The
Air Jordan XII didn’t look as stripped-down and serious as the XI, but
beneath the elegantly understated exterior beat the heart of a killer.
Like a Bentley or Rolls, the Air Jordan XII was the perfect mix of
luxury and performance. This is best evidenced by the roster of Bulls
who wore it, ranging from Jordan and Scottie Pippen to centers Bill
Wennington and Luc Longley.
Apparently the Jordan XII provided excellent support for plantar
fasciitis, although Jordan himself said it was “like putting whitewalls
on a garbage truck.” The first Air Jordan to feature Zoom Air, the XII
was a grown-up shoe for a grown-up player.

Championship No. 6

The Matchup: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz
The Shoe: Air Jordan XIV
The Clincher: Game Six, June 14th 1998
Delta Center, Salt Lake City UT

THE SERIES:
For the first time, Michael Jordan’s Bulls would face a Finals opponent
for the second time. And this time, the opponent appeared to have their
number. The Jazz had won both regular-season matchups, held home court
advantage in the Finals, and took Game One. But Chicago won Game Two,
thanks in part to a tremendous fourth quarter, and carried that
momentum into Game Three. The Jazz took an early lead in the United
Center, but were quickly buried in a historic rout, eventually losing 96-54.
It was the lowest point total since the introduction of the 24-second
shot clock. But the Jazz regrouped, winning Game Five behind Karl
Malone’s 39 points. The series moved back to Utah, the Bulls leading
3-2.

The Bulls had never played in a Finals Game Seven, and they
weren’t about to start now. With Scottie Pippen suffering from an
injured back, Jordan shouldered the load from the outset in Game Six, scoring 45 points. In the final minute, he stripped Karl Malone, then scored on a picture-perfect jumper from the top of the key,
giving the Bulls a one-point lead with 5.2 seconds left. Bob Costas was
driven to muse, “That may have been the last shot Michael Jordan ever
made in the NBA…If that’s the last image of Michael Jordan…how
magnificent is it?” It wouldn’t be, of course, but the image would
stand. And so would the lead. Six championships.

THE SHOES:
You don’t want to say things were predestined or pre-scripted, but it
seems awfully coincidental that Michael Jordan broke out the Air Jordan
XIVs in Game Six when he’d just worn his regular Air Jordan XIIIs in
Game Five. Had the Bulls closed out at home, the Black Cats would have been the championship shoes. Instead, far in advance of their release, it was the sleek, Ferrari-inspired
Jordan XIVs on his feet when he hit that 20-footer over Jazz defender
Bryon Russell, arms extended in the ultimate follow-through. As it
turned out, it wouldn’t be his last shot, but you have to wonder whether he knew it at the time.

Source: http://www.streetlevel.com

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