Imagine a world where the Air Jordan never existed. No iconic sneaker moments, no sneakerheads lining up for releases, and no signature shoe legacy. Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, that’s exactly the scenario Jordan Brand playfully explores in its latest ad.

As the legend goes, back in 1985, the NBA warned Michael Jordan that his black and red sneakers violated the league’s dress code when Jordan wore the controversial sneakers in the Slam Dunk contest at All-Star weekend in Feb. “Gentlemen. In accordance with our conversations, this will confirm and verify that the National Basketball Association’s rules and procedures prohibited the wearing of certain red and black NIKE basketball shoes by Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan on or around October 18, 1984,” this is how the NBA responded to Nike. And Nike’s response? Pay the $5000 fine every game and turn the controversy into one of the most brilliant marketing campaigns ever. Now, 40 years later, Jordan Brand is asking a simple but wild question: What if we didn’t pay the fine? 

The ad kicks off with a nostalgic clip of young Michael Jordan from the original “Banned” commercial before introducing Lawrence H, who seems to be a fictional Nike employee in charge of finances. His stance? “It was $5,000—every game.”

And that’s where everything unravels. The Air Jordan? A flop. Signature shoes? Never took off. No catchphrases, no sneaker culture, no Luka Doncic dazzling fans on a global stage.

Set to Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust, the video humorously spirals into chaos. Even suggesting that without Air Jordans, DJ Khaled wouldn’t be saying “We the best,” and Travis Scott wouldn’t be “La Flame.”

Then the ad takes it a step further—“there’s no sports channel,” “red isn’t cool,” and “no one knows those letter numbers” (a nod to the Roman numerals used for Air Jordans. All because Lawrence H didn’t want to cough up the fine.

The message from the commercial is loud and clear: Jordan Brand’s influence is bigger than sneakers—it shaped sports, culture, and beyond. However, there is a certain section of fans who have not responded well to the marketing move by the Jordan Brand.

Fans react to latest campaign Jordan brand for Michael Jordan’s AJ1 “Banned”

While the campaign has generated a lot of buzz, many fans are frustrated over the limited availability and pricing of the sneakers. “Too bad nobody can get em. Might as well be banned,” one fan wrote. And honestly, it’s hard to argue. With only 10,000 pairs dropping at just 23 stores in the United States, most sneaker lovers won’t even get close to catching a pair.

Then there’s the price. $250 for a Jordan 1? One IG user wasn’t having it: “Sh*t still not worth $250 for a Jordan 1.” And let’s be real—price hikes have been a hot topic in the sneaker world for a while. Is the nostalgia factor really worth the extra cash? Well, not according to multiple fans in the comment section.

Then there are some who beyond availability and pricing, are scratching their heads over Jordan Brand’s business strategy. One sneaker enthusiast broke it down: “I just don’t see the logic behind spending SO MUCH on marketing a product only to limit its quantity and not be able to recoup what was spent on said marketing.”

And he’s got a point. This campaign has been running since December last year, which means a hefty marketing budget. Add in production costs, and the math isn’t exactly mathing. But not everyone is even interested in these AJ1s in the first place. “lol yall really like these? IMO I wouldn’t get them if they had a billion pairs lol the metallic 5s are way better,” one fan said, throwing some shade.

With the AJ V Metallic Silver boasting a reflective tongue and an icy translucent outsole, we get his love for the pair. But there’s no denying nostalgia is a powerful thing. No wonder that some fans are all in on the AJ1 hype, with one simply stating, “Nostalgia in full effect.” Because at the end of the day, for true Jordan fans, some sneakers are about more than just resale value or rarity—they’re about legacy.