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The UNC Tar Heels have become synonymous with winning at the highest level. They’ve made the championship game eleven times and come out victorious on six of those occasions, all while being fixtures in the rounds of eight and sixteen. But despite their recent success, we can’t help but separate 1982’s big win thanks to none other than Michael Jordan. Before his winning ways with the Bulls, MJ set the tone for his elite potential by hitting a championship-winning shot in 1982 against the Georgetown Hoyas. Naturally, that distinct Carolina blue has become a mainstay in the Air Jordan footwear legacy, particularly on the Air Jordan 1. It’s been featured on the Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG and even Virgil Abloh’s take through his Off-White lens, but even recently it’s been gaining high marks with the “University Blue”. Shop all three right now on eBay.
While Syracuse has just one championship under its belt, there’s no denying that the 2003 squad was among the greatest college basketball teams in history. Coached by Jim Boeheim and led by Carmelo Anthony, a dynamic freshman who was more than ready for the NBA levels, the rather young Orange team sliced and diced through the competition on their title run. Syracuse has also been a focal point of the Dunk for years, appearing on more styles than any other school while being one of the original “Be True” programs. Thankfully, Nike decided to re-issue to the original edition for both men and women, with the Low version dropping in 2020. Head to eBay to grab these or any other Dunks for your rotation.
Can’t discuss the shoe game and college hoops without mentioning the University of Oregon. The Ducks hold a special place in the origin story of Nike, as founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman both had ties to the school. Over the last decade, Nike and Jordan began creating Player Editions of popular footwear exclusively for the school’s athletes, fueling the fire for devoted sneaker collectors and swelling the mythical nature of these kicks. Eventually, Nike and Jordan chose to unleash the Oregon colors to the public; green and yellow eventually landed on popular lifestyle and performance footwear models like the Air Jordan 5, Air Foamposite One, and the Kobe AD. Rep your love for the Oregon Ducks by shopping our picks straight from eBay.