John Kim 
Family influence and guidance assumes a major role in shaping the career trajectory of a young player, but no player in perhaps the history of sports has had a personal tragedy make a direct impact in a player’s career than it has on Michael Jordan. The sudden death of his father, James R. Jordan, in July of 1993 was a direct contribution to Michael’s decision to retire in October of that year, and his triumph on Father’s Day of 1996 coerced one of the most heart-breaking emotional responses to victory we’ve ever seen. Michael’s fourth NBA Championship on Father’s Day – Was It The Shoes, or the work of a higher power?
Michael’s relationship with his father was extraordinary. It was Father Jordan’s desire for his son to be an extraordinary athlete, who pushed him to try out for his High School basketball team, and who was at his side when he won his first NBA Title in 1991 against the Los Angeles Lakers. The iconic images of a wide-smiled James and a weeping Michael embracing with the Larry O’Brien trophy in-between them stands as one of the true highlights of how a parental figure can turn raw talent into superstar.
In July of 1993, just a few short weeks after Michael Jordan completed an incredible three-peat by defeating the Lakers, Blazers, and Suns in three consecutive NBA Finals, news of James Jordan’s tragic death became a top-priority news headline across the globe. Michael, stricken with incredible grief, made a shocking decision to retire from the NBA, citing a loss of desire to play a game he so easily dominated. He felt he had nothing left to accomplish, which by many accounts is a true statement, but it was clear the catalyst of his success – his father – was no longer present.
In an effort to grant his father’s desire for Michael to be a professional baseball player, Michael approached the diamond and signed a Minor League contract with the Birmingham Barons of the Chicago White Sox organization. “I want to play baseball. It was my father’s dream that I become a baseball player.” Jordan was an incredible fan draw, but his on-field performance didn’t match his accomplishments in the NBA; he batted .202 with 114 strikeouts in the 1994 minor-league season.
The love of the game brought Michael back to the NBA in March of 1995. The Bulls accepted Michael to their roster late in the ’94-’95 season, but still fell to the Orlando Magic in the 1995 Playoffs. It was clear there was some rust on his hinges, but he was ready to go for the ’95-’96 season. What concluded was the greatest season in NBA history – a 72-10 regular season record, with an MVP trophy to boot. The Bulls advanced to the NBA Finals without much competition and faced off against Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and the talented Seattle Sonics, achieving triumph in six games.
The sixth, Championship-clinching game, fell on June 16th – Father’s Day. After victory, Michael retreated to the Bulls locker room, game ball in hand, and fell to floor. He wept uncontrollably as he was reminded that his father James was no longer there with him to celebrate his victory. “I can’t even put it into words, what this means to me, on Father’s Day. I know he’s watching.”
What did Michael wear during this amazing moment in professional sports history? The Air Jordan XI in the famed ‘Bred’ colorway, a sneaker that some consider the greatest sneaker in the history of footwear. Michael spent the entire NBA Finals wearing this historic piece of Jordan history, with the piano-black patent leather and translucent red sole accentuating the supremely luxurious design. The Air Jordan XI in the classic Bulls colorway is often recalled by Air Jordan designers for inspiration, with shoes like the Air Jordan XVI, XIX, and 2011 using design influences directly from that shoe.
This December 21st, the Air Jordan XI ‘Bred’ will release once again to consumers, allowing older Jordan fans the opportunity to re-live the memories of 1996 while presenting a bit of history to the younger generation that spawned in the post-Bulls era. The Bred XI is remembered for many events, but not many associate it with the few minutes that Michael was at his weakest point – stripped of his brazen confidence and left hopelessly weeping like a young child.
