Remember on The Last Dance, when Michael Jordan said he wanted to sign with Adidas over Nike? Gilbert Arenas actually took that route. Over a decade since he had a signature shoe under Adidas, Arenas revealed he steers other NBA youngsters away from “the Jordan tag.” A diehard MJ fanatic himself, there’s a strong reason why he advocates for players to have low expectations if they do end up under His Airness’ shadow.

In a post he ominously captioned, “DON’T Sign With Jordan” he shared his explanation from Gil’s Arena. It’s not only because “Jordan is Jordan,” but he said that no other athlete is likely to have a signature shoe that would stand out under the Jordan Brand.

“You’re signing under the person himself who has a visible face that is iconic to basketball,” he said, magnifying how the Jumpman logo with its own collection remains unmatched in sneaker culture. Whatever Air Jordan edition will be created for a Jordan Brand signee, according to Arenas, would not top the original series by Air Jordan himself.

“Therefore, your shoe line can come out tomorrow and he [Jordan] can drop a 12 retro in a weird color, and everybody forgot about your shoe,” he put it bluntly. “That’s why no Jordan Brand players’ signature shoe popped technically because Michael Jordan already has this establishment.” 

A good few in the comments agreed with Arenas. Most gave the example of Carmelo Anthony, whose 13 versions of the Air Jordan Melo remain memorable. However, no other player’s shoes under the Jordan umbrella had a similar impact and Michael Jordan’s image is the first thing that comes to mind. When it was his turn to launch a signature shoe collection, Agent Zero took his own advice.

Gilbert Arenas takes other Jordan mementos

Gilbert Arenas had a $40 million contract with Adidas. The brand is now retro-releasing his sneakers but someone in the Arenas household is not running for them. His son, Alijah, remains a big Jordan fan since Gil spent one season with the Black Cat on the Wizards roster.

Jordan’s then-teammates, including Arenas, would be on the lookout for his used items lying in the locker room. Gil apparently has quite a few ‘memorabilia’ in his possession. Alijah even got Jordan to sign his own shorts that Gil had taken, which did stun the 6x NBA champion.

Alijah, a top prospect in high school, could potentially be an NBA star with a signature shoe in the future. If his dad diverts him from the Jordan Brand or he takes the connection to Michael Jordan, is something for the far future.

READ MORE: Where Is Michael Jordan’s Last Uniform? Gilbert Arenas Claims He Has It