After a spasmodic wait and after ESPN and Netflix have decided to anticipate its release, the first two episodes of “The Last Dance“, the definitive documentary dedicated to the last year of the Chicago Bulls dynasty by Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson, are now available in Italy.
Probably one of the 3 strongest teams of all time, 6 NBA titles in 8 years, 2 three-peat (90/91, 91/92, 92/93 and 95/96, 96/97, 97/98), and billions of stories left for years in the undergrowth of legend, providing the backdrop for one of the most anticipated documentaries ever.
I don’t think there’s any need to tell how much Air Jordan played a central role in a career full of successes and epic plays, just think of the narrative that developed around them and the impact they had on the sneaker culture and its beginning.
Precisely for this reason, we decided to reveal 5 curiosities that you may not know about Air Jordan XIV, the sneakers that Michael wore in his last game with the Bulls on June 14th, 1998.
Let’s contextualize and geolocalize: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. Game 6 of the NBA Finals, 3-2 Chicago in the count of the 7 games that serve to decide who will win the title between the Bulls of Jordan and Pippen and the Utah Jazz of John Stockton and Karl Malone.
41 seconds and 3 tenths to go, +3 Utah.
Jordan gets the ball and in less than 4 seconds he puts two points (very difficult) for the -1 Chicago. Jazz possession, the ball goes to their strongest and most representative player, Karl Malone, a certainty. The problem is that they didn’t calculate the cougar with the 23 on his shoulders, Jordan takes Malone by surprise and rips the ball from his hands, it’s his. Michael goes to the other side of the field, one on one with Russell puts him on the crossover and puts the two points that give the sixth title to the Bulls in 6 finals disputed, the case is closed.
In the iconic image that that moment will give us, Michael wears a pair of Air Jordan XIV that will remain in the collective imagination forever.
Here are the 5 things you may not know about Air Jordan XIV:
1. Jordan’s only worn them on three occasions on the hardwood
Michael started the Finals of ’98 with a pair of Jordan XIII “Bred” in game 1 and a pair never released in red and black in game 2. The 14ths made their debut on the hardwood in game 3 and then they were worn again for race 4 and race 6. In fact, for race 5, Michael wore the newly released Air Jordan XIII “Playoff“.
2. They are inspired by Ferrari 550 Maranello
The designer of the sneakers in question, Tinker Hatfield, is telling us directly.
“Michael told us directly that we should look at his cars. He actually suggested we go out and look at his Ferrari, just for inspiration“. Clean and simple design, it includes an “air vent” similar to the one that was on the Maranello in the late 1990s, as well as the same type of paint and bumper materials. The shoes were released on Halloween Day 1998 for $150, while the red and black “Last Shot” model that Jordan wore in the finals of ’98 did not arrive in stores until March 1999.
3. Air Jordan XIV has obtained the landmark patent
According to Associate Press, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Nike Patent No. 400,000 for automotive-inspired elements incorporated into the design of the Air Jordan XIV. A press conference was held to mark the occasion.
4. They’re among the 100 best sneakers of all time.
In December 1998, just two months after they were released, Air Jordan XIV was ranked No. 82 on the list of the best sneakers of all time by the famous Dallas shoe store, Footaction (purchased by Foot Locker in 2004).
5. They’ve been associated with the criminal activities of a Californian gang
“Nike has learned from local police departments and school administrators that the Roman numeral ‘XIV’ on this year’s Air Jordan is coincidentally associated by some with a gang based in Northern California. Michael Jordan, the Jordan Brand and Nike condemn violence and vigorously assert that any Jordan brand product and, specifically, the Air Jordan XIV has no connection to any gang or gang-related activity and is intended for use as a basketball product.”
This is the statement made on 26 March 1999, denying any kind of link between Air Jordan XIV and the Norteños gang, which used the number 14 and, specifically, the Roman numerals XIV, as a reference to the 14th letter of the alphabet, the ‘N’, to pay homage to the Mexican-American prison gang organisation known as Nuestra Familia.
