NBA all-time great Michael Jordan is one of the most successful players ever for a reason. He was obsessed with winning and went to extreme lengths to make sure he won. Over the course of his career, he has played in six NBA finals and won six rings. When its crunch time, MJ took over. Fans around the world loved this “killer instinct” about him. Everyone knew he would come through during a tough situation to the team. To help himself, MJ made sure the conditions are to his liking in every way possible.
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Even if it means wearing a pair of new shoes every game. While it is now a common practice to wear a new pair of shoes every game in the NBA, it was not when Jordan played. In 2013, Jordan sat down with 2K for an interview before the release of the NBA2K14. During the interview, he answered a variety of questions.
When asked what was his favorite Air Jordan sneaker, he reluctantly revealed the Air Jordan XI is his favorite followed by the IIIs. He then added that Air Jordan XII or XIII would get third place.
Michael Jordan reveals the reason behind wearing a new shoe every game
After revealing his favorite Air Jordans, Michael Jordan then talked about wearing a fresh pair of sneakers for every game. “I always wore a brand new pair of shoes every game. So you figured it at the beginning of the season or at the end of the season I had gone through almost 150 pairs of shoes,” MJ stated.
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The Chicago Bulls legend then revealed the reason behind wearing a new pair of shoes every game.
“And the reason I chose to do that is because if you ever was a kid, and you ever put those shoes on for the first time, it’s like you feel energetic. It feels like you got something that you can actually showcase. Well, I wanted that feeling every game,”?he disclosed.
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Jordan definitely displayed his sneaker game and more during his time in the league. His relationship with Nike is not just interesting but also very successful. He was ready to sign a deal with sports apparel giants Adidas. But he obliged his mother’s advice and sat down with Nike to hear their offer.
However, his decision was Adidas and he let the Nike executives know the meeting is a mere formality. But Nike was not ready to let their target go easy. So even though they were not considering offering a signature line for Jordan, they offered it. MJ was impressed with the idea of having his own brand and signed the deal. The rest is sneaker history.