12/12/12 – it’s a fortuitous alignment of month, day, and year that falls on our laps just once a year, and considering we won’t see that abbreviated date for another century, we might as well take the cue and feature the most iconic “12” sneaker in history – the Air Jordan XII. This Tinker Hatfield design was unveiled in the ’96-’97 NBA Season, worn by Michael Jordan in four different colorways – the “Taxi”, “Flu Game”, “Playoffs”, and the White/Red – and in all those shoes, MJ has pulled of some amazing feats of excellence.
Most of Michael’s iconic moments in the Air Jordan XII aren’t mysteries by now: the Flu Game, during which MJ poured in 38 points while terribly ill, the understated Triple-Double at the All-Star Game, the 55-point outburst against the young Bullets in the Playoffs – the list is pretty much endless. We’ve compiled a nice gallery of Michael Jordan in the Air Jordan XII, so enjoy this XII feature on 12/12/12 and let us know what your favorite Air Jordan XII moment in the comments below.
Why not start off an retrospective of the Air Jordan XII with Michael Jordan against one of his biggest rivals – the New York Knicks? Here he is walking the White/Red colorway.
The Air Jordan XII in White/Black-Taxi (commonly referred to as the ‘Taxi’ colorway) was another one of Michael’s favorites throughout the ’96-’97 regular season.
While not a full-fledged rivalry, Michael Jordan’s matchups against the young Allen Iverson were among the most anticipated games of the NBA that year. Here’s an epic showdown between the Air Jordan XII and the Reebok Question.
Michael Jordan attacked the NBA All-Star Game with full force, recording a rare triple-double and taking home the game’s MVP trophy.
The Playoffs arrived, and Michael quickly made his mark by dropping a double-nickel against the talented yet inexperienced Washington Bullets.
In Round 2, Jordan gave Mt. Mutumbo a bit of his own medicine – first by posterizing him with a one-handed slam, then giving him the ‘finger’.
Jordan and Bulls faced off against the Utah Jazz during the ’97 Finals, with Jordan winning Game 1 on a buzzer-beating jumper.
The legendary Flu Game: in Game 5 of the ’97 Finals, Michael Jordan executed the greatest single-game performance in NBA Playoffs history by scoring 38 points and recording 7 rebounds and 5 assists while being completely hindered by a terrible flu. This iconic moment in sports history would often be used for motivation and would later be immortalized in an ad campaign by Gatorade.
Game 6 took place in Chicago, and Michael sealed the deal with an outstanding 39-point performance.
Michael Jordan rotated several colorways throught out the’96-’97 season – White/Red, ‘Flu Game’, and ‘Taxi’ being the three most common selections.
The Air Jordan XII was used as a popular ‘Player Exclusive’ for Jordan Brand athletes. Ray Allen, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony are seen here rocking their own PEs.