John Kim 
Thirteen All-Star Game appearances, three All-Star Game MVP awards. Michael was without question the baller of ballers during the February classic, starting at the young age of 21 in his rookie year all the way to age 39 during his final season with the Washington Wizards. Throughout those thirteen All-Star Game appearances, Michael has been at the center of attention, whether it be for his magnificent displays of dominance (dropping 40 points in ’88), or his not-Top Ten moments (clunking a dunk attempt off the back of the rim). Check out this nice retrospective of all of Michael Jordan’s All-Star Game Air Jordans and the highlights from each appearance, and be sure to vote for your favorite All-Star game kicks at the very end!
1985 – Air Jordan 1 ‘Red/White/Black’ – Michael Jordan’s first All-Star Game appearance would not go smoothly; Isiah Thomas and a group of other Eastern Conference All-Stars allegedly ‘froze out’ Michael in the game by not passing him the ball. Isiah Thomas refuted the accusations of the attempted ‘black-balling’, but the media continued to play up the story and helped build one of the most bitter rivalries in NBA history.
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1987 – Air Jordan II ‘White/Red/Black’ – After missing the ’86 game due to injury, Michael returned to the All-Star Game one night after winning the 1987 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. The Eastern Conference would go on to lose the game to the West in overtime. Michael played just 24 minutes throughout the extended game, despite garnering the most votes in the entire league.
1988 – Air Jordan III ‘Black/Cement’ – The third time’s a charm; two ‘lackluster’ performances in his first two All-Star Game appearances was quickly forotten when MJ dropped 40 points while hitting nearly 75% of his attempts. By winning his first All-Star Game MVP award, Jordan proved why he deserved the most votes in the entire league.
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1989 – Air Jordan IV ‘Black/Red’ – Michael Jordan led the Eastern Conference All-Stars with 28 points, but that wasn’t enough to overcome the West squad. The 1989 All-Star Game would be the third consecutive year in which Michael Jordan earned the most votes in the league.
1990 – Air Jordan V ‘Black/Metallic’ – The 1990 All-Star Game experienced a shift of power as the Eastern Conference handled its opponents by a margin of 17 points. Michael was one of seven Eastern All-Stars that scored in double-digits while once again earning the most votes in the league.
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1991 – Air Jordan VI ‘Infrared’ – 1991 would prove to be a career-defining year for Michael as he finished off the season by winning his first-ever NBA Championship. He certainly was in Championship form as he led all scorers with 26 points while wearing the Air Jordan VI ‘Infrared’, but the MVP trophy went to close friend Charles Barkley. The two led the East to a victory over the West – the East’s second consecutive All-Star Game win.
1992 – Air Jordan VII ‘Bordeaux’ – Air Jordans at the All-Star Game took an interesting turn in 1992, as Michael debuted the ‘Bordeaux’ colorway of the Air Jordan VII. It would be the first non-Bulls colorway that Michael would wear to the February game, setting a personal trend of sneaker choices for the two following All-Star appearances.
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1993 – Air Jordan VIII ‘Aqua’ – Rumors had been swirling around that Michael was no longer challenged by the game of basketball. Some called the ’93 affair his final appearance alongside his superstar pals. Luckily for us, Michael would appear in five more All-Star games after, but he kept the suspense going regardless of the rumors and speculation. During the ’93 game, Michael wore the ‘Aqua’ colorway of the Air Jordan VIII while leading all scorers with 30 points; had the East been victorious, Michael would have likely earned the MVP award, but that title was shared by West representatives and home-town teammates Karl Malone and John Stockton.
1996 – Air Jordan XI ‘Columbia’ – Late into the 1995 season, Michael Jordan returned to the NBA after an 18-month absence. After the Bulls were knocked out of the Playoffs by the Orlando Magic, many questioned Michael’s abilities and perceived his skills to have diminished after his long hiatus from the spot. Michael bounced back in the following season by leading the Bulls to a record 72 wins while earning his second All-Star Game MVP trophy after leading the East to a victory.
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1997 – Air Jordan XII ‘Playoffs’ – The man can do it all. Michael Jordan tallied the first ever triple-double in NBA All-Star Game history, totaling 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. He conceded scoring duties to sharpshooting Glen Rice, who set records himself by scoring the most points in a quarter (20) and half (24).
1998 – Air Jordan XIII ‘Playoffs’ – The ’98 All-Star Game was projected to be Michael’s final appearance in the February classic. Donning the Black/White/Red colorway of the Air Jordan XIII, all eyes were on MJ and his counterpart on the Western squad – Kobe Bryant. The match-up that pinned superstar against prodigy was scrutinized on offense and defense was subject to scrutiny; while Kobe had his moments, Jordan made sure to take the youngster to school on several occasions. Many point to the ’98 game as the ‘passing of the torch’ from Michael to Kobe, particularly after Kobe Bryant finished off his own three-peat of championships with Shaquille O’neal. The night was Jordan’s to have, and he did so in style as he took home his third All-Star Game MVP trophy.
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2002 – Air Jordan XVII Low ‘Lightning’ – Michael Jordan returned to the All-Star Game after a three-year absence. However familiar MJ would be with the atmosphere, Michael was certainly playing among a different generation of stars; they were not only his peers, but also his loyal followers that watched him work his magic for over a decade prior to becoming pros themselves. Michael took the court wearing the Air Jordan XVII Low in the ‘Lightning’ colorway, and one fast-break play during that game would prove to be one of the most memorable moment; on a solo break to the rim, Michael went up for a one-handed slam and clunked the ball against the back of the rim.
2003 – Air Jordan XVIII ‘White/Royal’ – The 2003 NBA All-Star Game was Michael’s final participation in the annual tradition. The game that Michael made such a spectacle would ‘give back’, as Vince Carter forcefully offered his starting spot to Michael, who missed being voted as a starter by a slim margin, and during half-time, a special serenade by Mariah Carey and the raging applause of the entire building brought Michael to joyful tears as he gave a final ‘thank you’ to his fans around the world and assured fans everywhere that the game would be left in the secure hands of the younger superstar generation. The entire game was a close contest from beginning to end, but fans caught one final glimpse of transcendant greatness when Michael hit a go-ahead fadeaway jumper over the extended arm of Shawn Marion with just seconds left in the first over-time period. Fist held firmly in air, the tens and thousands of fans and the nine other players on the court witnessed Michael’s greatness for one last moment, closing the book on his NBA legacy in the most appropriate way.
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