Last year I posted a story about the history of the Jumpman.
I wanted to bring this post back for all the people that are new to the blog.
Enjoy!
The Jumpman.
One of the most recognizable logos known to man...
For almost 20 years now the Jumpman has been selling sneakers, shirts, hats, socks, wrist bands, back packs, and anything else Nike could attach a Jumpman to.
Slap a Jumpman on a dried up piece of dog crap and i'll bet you that shit will sell!
But this didn't happen overnight...
Let's travel back to 1984 and re-trace the path of the now Infamous Jumpman logo.
The Jumpman logo is actually a silhouette of studio photograph of Mike performing a ballet move, not an actual dunk as the image suggests.
Here's part of an interview with HOOP Magazine from April of 1997 where Mike talks about the creation of the Jumpman Logo.
"I wasn't even dunking on that one.
People think that I was.
I just stood on the floor, jumped up and spread my legs and they took the picture.
I wasn't even running.
Everyone thought I did that by running and taking off. Actually, it was a ballet move where I jumped up and spread my legs.
And I was holding the ball in my left hand."
Not many people know that the original idea for the photo shoot of the Jumpman came from an older photo of Mike in Life Magazine for the 1984 Olympics.
This is the rarely seen photo that started it all.
Nike "sampled" the idea for a poster featuring Mike suspended in air for what would later become the now famous Jumpman logo.
This photo was first featured on the hang tags of all the original Air Jordan I's from 1985...
But the actual Jumpman logo didn't join the mix for another 3 years.
Fast forward to 1988...
Mike's contract with Nike was about to finish.
Rob Strasser Nike's VP was in a power struggle with Nike CEO Phil Knight. Rob and Peter Moore, Nike's head designer, were secretly hatching a plan to lure Mike away from Nike to their new sneaker company called Van Grack.
Peter originally did the preliminary design work on the Air Jordan III.
He had a pile of sketches of the Air Jordan III but waited until it was too late to execute.
When he left Nike, Tinker Hatfield got the sketches and in amongst it were the outline of the Air Jordan Jumpman logo.
Since 1985, Nike sales have jumped through the roof and Phil Knight (Nike's CEO) was not about to lose Mike that easily.
He gave Tinker the task of presenting the next AJ III to Mike.
Both Tinker and Ron Dumas designed the entire AJ III line in a matter of weeks.
At the Air Jordan III presentation, Mike was ready to leave Nike.
This was Nike's chance to show and prove.
When Tinker said that he has a sample pair of the AJ III, Mike's eyes lit up...
Once Mike saw that luxurious tumbled leather wrapped in elephant print with that big, beautiful, fire red Jumpman logo on the tounge, that was it, Mike was in love.
Nike added Spike Lee to the mix and the rest is history.
From the commercials, the dunk contest, the scoring titles, the MVP's, the buzzer beaters, the heart breaking losses, the championships, the retirement, the come back, the 72 and 10 season, the tap on the ass, nothing but net goose neck with 6.6 on shot clock...
What a ride!
By the end of Mike's career with the Bulls, the Jumpman was strong enough live outside of the shadow of big brother Nike and Brand Jordan soared to new heights.
From a quick Life Time Magazine photoshoot to a CEO of a multi-million dollar company...
Now moving into the year of the Air Jordan XXIII, Brand Jordan is bigger then ever.
2008 should be a fun year for everyone that Like's Mike.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Please stay in your seats...
The ride is not over.
Bonus Video:
Check out Andy De Lore doing the "One armed Jumpman".
Thank ISS Member "Flight 83" for the OG AJ I&III pictures.
NiceKicks.com recently did a design contest together with Popdeck, here's the winning design by AKUTOU.
With Popdeck being from Chicago this design was a standout.
Popdeck is a site that enables the skatedeck to be the canvas for artists where winning designs are printed in limited quantities and sold on their site.
The Nice Kicks x Popdeck deck was produced in only 20 units, but at this point only 17 are available for $40 at popdeck.com.
If you are going to the Jay-Z / Mary J "Heart of the City" Concert at the American Airlines Arena, when the event ends at 8pm, you can walk to the arena from DXC.
I came across some dope pictures of Mike's son Jeff Jordan from an event held last year called "Illini Madness", a fund raiser organized by the University of Illinois men's basketball team Coach Weber to help fight cancer.
I don't know all the details, but I guess the University of Illinois Basketball Team had some sort of Charity Game and what looks like a dunk contest.
Check Jeff out looking more Like Kobe or T-mac then like Mike.
Jeff pulls out the old Jordan Bulls home jersey for the Vinsanity thru the legs dunk.
I don't know the story behind this Q & A with Director of Apparel and Footwear for the Jordan Brand,Gentry Humphrey, but I thought some of you would find it interesting.
I personally could not bring myself to watch the whole thing, but if your bored go for it.
Mike is in the middle of his first season with the Washington Wizards after coming out of retirement for the second time.
A regular season game ends Mike 866 consecutive game double digit scoring record dating back to 1986 scoring only 6 points in a loss to the Pacers.
How does Mike respond to this?
Two days later he drops 51 points on the Hornets shattering the record for the oldest player to drop 50+ in a single game, making up for that record ending performance by droping 24 in the first quater, hits 34 with the clock running down to end the half, keeps it going after half time and ends the game with 51 points, no dunks, no 3 pointers, just smart basketball.
Thanks for inspiring us all to never give up, to never accept defeat, and to always look to improve ourselves everyday.
Enjoy this video of Mike showing the Hornets and the rest of the world that he is still and will always be the best there ever was, and the best there will ever be.
Thank Youtube member "hoopsencyclopedia" for the video.
On September 9, 1994, Michael Jordan took part in the last basketball game ever played in the old Chicago Stadium, the Scottie Pippen All-Star Classic game, saying goodbye to the home of the Chicago Bulls for the past 27 years.
Michael, who was then retired from basketball at the time came back for the final game and scored 52 points. At the end of the game Mike got down on his hands and knees and kissed the Bulls logo on the center court floor as he waved goodbye.
But Mike didn't say goodbye to that floor for to long, the center court Bulls logo is the floor of Michael Jordan's trophy room in his home.
Roaming around Ebay the other day I found something I have never seen for sale before, a salesman sample autographed Upper Deck Authenticated Michael Jordan Scottie Pippen Charity Game jersey.
And it can be yours for only $1000!
Wish I had an extra stack to drop that one, I don't think to many people have this jersey.
Here is a six part video of the last game ever played in the Old Chicago Bulls Stadium featuring Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Penny Hardaway, Shaq, John Starks, Mark Jackson, Horace Grant, Gary Payton and many more. Tons of highlights, dunks, alley oop's, no look passes and even footage of Mike guarding Scottie and Scottie guarding Mike. This is classic footage, even great coverage of the post game interviews, all basketball fans should really get a kick out of watching these old videos.
