If you Like Mike your gonna love this classic video of Renee Ferguson interviewing Michael Jordan for the Channel 5 news back in 1988.
The interview is filled with all kinds of vintage footage of Mike on and off the court.
From classic commercials to personal photos of Mike and Juanita before they were married.
We even get to see Mike rocking the Nike "Revolution" in the video, the sneaker that was part of the inspiration for the Air Jordan III's.
In the interview Mike talks about being a role model and maintaing a positive image for the public, grocery shopping, how he met Juanita, and to top it all off, Mike has the flu so he sounds like a frog for the whole interview.
On February 13, 1998, Jordan and the Bulls met the Atlanta Hawks... Bulls started the game strongly and managed to lead by 20 points at one time. But the Hawks were able to fight back in the final quarter until the game was tied. Mike hit a clutch shot with 13 seconds left to give the Bulls a 2-point lead. Steve Smith tied the game again by clutching two free throws. Finally, with four second left, Mike finally shot the ball at the buzzer to grab a 112-110 victory as he scored a total 37 points.
Michael Jordan memorabilia is some of the most sought after sports memorabilia because many believe he is the greatest basketball player of all time. Jordan's many illustrious awards and titles include 14 All-Star, 5 MVPs and even an Olympic gold medal. There's no doubt that a Michael Jordan autograph is valuable, especially now that Jordan is retired. Another reason a Jordan autograph is so valuable is because he wasn't a big autograph signer. The frenzied fans clamoring for his signature were deemed a hazard, therefore he did not sign for fans at sporting events very often.
On average, an authentic Jordan autograph is going to be worth more than $1,000. Exactly how much a particular autograph is worth will depend on the condition of the item, its rarity, the time period when it was signed, and what the item is.
For example, there are autographed jerseys, balls, plaques and other memorabilia items that are going to be worth more than a simple signed piece of paper.
When buying a Jordan autograph, proper authentication is very important. Upper Deck (UDA) is one of the finest authentication agencies for sports memorabilia and is trusted by collectors everywhere. If an item you're considering comes with UDA authentication, you can trust that it's the real thing. Buying an item without this authentication is more tricky. You may get a certificate with your item but unless it is from a verifiable authentication agency it may not be legitimate.
You'll find many celebrity autographs for sale on Ebay, including those from Michael Jordan. When purchasing an autographed item online, go with sellers that have a history of positive customer feedback. Ideally, the item you purchase should come with a lifetime guarantee of authenticity. That way, you can get the item authenticated and return it if it's a fake. If a seller cannot provide a certificate of authenticity from a legitimate agency or a lifetime guarantee, you should probably think twice about buying.
If you are the owner of an authentic Michael Jordan autograph, you may be thinking about selling. You may want to reconsider, because many autographs will increase in value over time. If you're a big Jordan fan, selling a piece of autographed memorabilia may never cross your mind. Make sure you keep your Jordan autograph protected in a Mylar sleeve and stored in a safe place away from heat, light and moisture. A safe deposit box is a storage good choice for an autograph that is valuable.
I just finished reading this awesome column on Magic Johnson's business ventures from a 1990 edition of Sports Illustrated.
According to the article, Magic and Michael Jordan were scheduled to play a one on one game on pay-per-view.
Here's the word:
...Magic is not always selfless, not entirely without vanity. A proposed one-on-one with Michael Jordan on cable TV, eventually nixed by the NBA last January, was only partly inspired by Magic's desire to throw $2 million or $3 million from the pay-per-view to charity; the two players would have made some Sugar Ray Leonard money as well. And Magic may have wanted to prove he could beat Jordan at his own game. "When we had it all but signed," remembers Rosen, "I finally said, 'Look, do you really think you can beat this guy? I mean, it's not too late [to back out].' " By then, Magic had developed some strategies. He was certain of victory.
Not sure of how Magic would have handled MJ--Magic was more of a five on five guy, although his height would have been an advantage--but you know that would have been a hell of a match up. They would probably be making money off of DVDs of the match up to this day. I always wonder why more NBA superstars don't challenge each other in one on one competition. I mean, people would pay a lot of money to see Kobe Bryant play LeBron James head-to-head.
The only other type of marquee one on one match up I remember being talked about was between Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaq after the 1995 Finals.
The match was called the Taco Bell One on One Championship and was scheduled to take place that September, but Hakeem hurt himself training and pulled out of the event.
Thank NATE JONES at Jonesonthenba.com for the story.
– UNDRCRWN, the premier luxury basketball lifestyle brand, announces their collaboration with recording artist, actor and author Marshall B. Mathers III, a.k.a Eminem. To support the release of his new book, The Way I Am, UNDRCRWN has designed a limited edition Eminem caricature tee shirt. The 100% cotton tee features “Detroit Slim” in Detroit Pistons colors, holding a “Greatest of All Time” Trophy in one hand and touting his book in the other.
( Peep the Blk Cement III's )
The tee goes on sale on October 15, 2008 and will be sold exclusively on UNDRCRWN.com and at Nort 235 (235 Eldride Street) in New York City during the book’s launch party that evening. The tee will then be available in a limited run beginning October 31 at UC retailers nationwide. The tee shirt has an MSRP of $36.00.
“Undrcrwn sees Eminem as a representation of our core values. Eminem is someone that has fought through adversity and naysayers to become one of the greatest artists of all time. With every product we create we make sure that it represents who we are and what we stand for.” says Dustin Canalin, Creative Director.
In The Way I Am, for the first time, the world's most controversial and enigmatic rapper writes, candidly, about how he sees the world. The book includes more than 250 full-color and black-and-white photographs —including private family snapshots and personal Polaroids—which illustrate The Way I Am. This visual self-portrait spans the rapper's entire life and career, from his early childhood in Missouri to the basement home studio he records in today, from Detroit's famous Hip Hop Shop to sold-out arenas around the globe.
What sports star does not have his match-day superstition? Some will not shave. One wears a lucky charm, another dons the same undershirt for an entire season. A famous Yankees player used only to eat chicken before a game, and one English football manager is said to have made his players walk two miles to the stadium on match day, after it happened once when the team bus broke down and they played like a dream. Thus it is with Barack Obama. On election days, he has to play basketball.
He did in Iowa and South Carolina, when he played in pick-up games and won both votes. In New Hampshire and Nevada he did not – and lost both primaries to Hillary Clinton. Contrary to urban myth, he is not especially brilliant at the sport, despite some popular clips on YouTube. A keen Obama-watcher likens his prowess to that of "a moderate club tennis player" (though he did make a clutch three-pointer before the world's TV cameras during a visit to Kuwait this summer, when a goof might have destroyed the Obama legend).
But the superstition itself makes perfect sense. Indeed, it might be seen not as a superstition, but as the acknowledgement of a debt – a debt not so much to basketball as to American sport in general. For is it too fanciful to argue that without sport, or rather black sport, no one today would even be thinking of a President Obama?
Oddly, there has been no public parade of African American superstars coming out for Obama. A few have, most notably LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, hailed by some as the new Michael Jordan.
Among baseball players to nail their flag to the Obama mast is Jimmy Rollins, shortstop of the Philadelphia Phillies, who are poised to make their first World Series appearance in 15 years.
But there hasn't exactly been a tidal wave of endorsements – which in fact may not be so surprising after all. The main reason for this reticence, almost inevitably, is money. Modern sports fortunes are amassed not only by fat multiyear contracts but also by multimillion dollar product sponsorship deals: and who wants to upset the punters?
Consider how back in 1990 the most famous North Carolinian – some would say the most famous black man – on earth declined to endorse the African-American candidate running for the Democrats in a bitterly fought Senate race in his home state, even though the Republican was the irredeemably racist Jesse Helms.
In Michael Jordan's immortal words of 18 years ago...
"Republicans buy sneakers too."
Translated, the world's most potent human advertising hoarding was not going to allow mere politics to foul his golden nest. Major league sports players are very different from other African-Americans; they are exceedingly rich. As part of his campaign platform, Obama promises to raise taxes for anyone making more than $250,000. But compared with the stratospheric rewards available to even journeymen big leaguers, that sum is chicken feed. The average salary in the NBA is $4.9m, in Major League Baseball $2.9m and in the National Football League $1.25m. The top stars, thanks to those huge sponsorship deals, earn far more. At Cleveland, James ("King James" to his millions of fans, white and black alike) for instance makes a a reputed $40m a year, while Derek Jeter, the face of New York Yankees baseball, rakes in an estimated $30m. Small wonder the professional black athlete's take on the world is often less "hood" than hedge fund. As Fred Smoot, the Washington Redskins cornerback, said: "We're coming from Democratic backgrounds, but right now we've got Republican money."
And then, of course, there's Tiger Woods, the highest-earning sports star of them all (an estimated $128m in 2008), and the black athlete who most resembles Obama in his ability to transcend race. Anxious not to upset his overwhelmingly Republican colleagues on the PGA tour, the Tiger has been pussy-cat discreet when it comes to politics.
"He's extremely articulate, very thoughtful," Woods confided apropos of Obama, to reporters who cornered him last February at the Dubai Desert Classic. But then again, "I'm just impressed at how well, basically all politicians really do, how well they think on their feet." As for Obama's chances, "We'll see what happens down the road." No professional politician could have been less revealing of his feelings. Even when a McCain adviser publicly mocked Obama to one of his Democratic opposite numbers as "your Tiger Woods" the great man was not goaded into breaking his silence. Some do say, though, that Woods has indeed slipped a quiet contribution to campaign Obama.
Not that it would necessarily make much difference if Woods went public with the fact. After all, movie stars as rich and famous as he have been coming out for political candidates for years – and much difference it has made. Tinseltown adores Democrats. But it's the Republicans who've won seven of the last 10 presidential elections.
Nonetheless, while public endorsements are relatively few, it would be astonishing if the elite of African-American sport were not quietly lining up behind Obama. They may be rich, but they are also black. They cannot be immune to the emotions of pride and solidarity that have led 95 per cent of ordinary black voters to favour Obama. In dressing rooms across the country, Campaign 2008 is, by all accounts, a constant talking point. Sporting idols may be insulated from the real world, but not, surely, so anaesthetised by the George W Bush tax cuts that they are unaware of the crisis facing their country, and the national yearning for change.
"It's just time," Rollins told the Philadelphia Inquirer in early June, when Obama had effectively seen off Clinton in their long primary struggle. "America is so much different than it was. People want something new. This has been going on for so many years and it's getting worse. So why not try something new? Maybe Barack can be that answer."
Or as Vonnie Holliday of the NFL's Miami Dolphins has put it, "As a black man, am I excited about Obama being a candidate, where I can tell my son who is three years old, 'Believe it, you can be President one day?' Yes.
But whether or not the black sporting elite supports Obama is only a small part of the story. Far more important, without the black sports stars of this and earlier eras he might well not be where he is today, destined – if the polls are correct – to be the first African-American to win the highest office in the land.
In most countries, a cricketer, footballer or tennis player, however gifted, would hardly qualify as a major historical figure. Not so in the US. If race is America's original and lingering sin, America's sports stadiums were where that sin at last started to be expunged.
In April 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first player to break the colour barrier in a major American team sport, when he took the field for baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers.
Since then sport, along with popular music, has established itself as the most colour-blind part of American life. As early as the late 1960s, the starting line-up for the NBA's Boston Celtics was entirely black, and today three-quarters of American basketball major leaguers are black. In the NFL, a majority are African-American. Ironically, only in baseball, where it all started, is the proportion smaller, at about 10 per cent.
African-American athletes were accepted, then admired, and then feted across racial barriers. It was in sport first of all that a black man could turn from threat into hero, in the minds of many whites. Yes, menacing figures were to be found: Sonny Liston of course, as well as Muhammad Ali in his Cassius Clay incarnation, before metamorphosis into the globally beloved quasi-deity of today, and more recently Mike Tyson, self-described "baddest man on the planet".
Then there was O J Simpson, who went in the opposite direction to Ali – from family-friendly NFL superstar and Hertz rental car pitchman with the white trophy wife, to villain of the most racially charged murder trial in modern US history.
But these were the exceptions. The trend has been towards normality and equality; towards spanning, not deepening, racial barriers. In every respect but one, Washington DC is a city divided. The sole institution in the capital around which blacks and whites, rich and poor, Democrats and Republicans, unite is the Redskins, whose players are mostly African-American.
And from sport, it is not fanciful to argue, the acceptance of blacks has spread to the movies, in the shape of smash box-office stars like Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Will Smith, and more recently to politics (read Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice). "I think African-American athletes have played a key part in the process," says Frank Deford, doyen of American sports writers. "You get to be a great player, then you become an idol, to whites and blacks alike. Unconsciously or not, Obama in that sense is the end product."
The line is a long one; from Jackie Robinson to the tennis champions Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, to baseball players like Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, to basketball idols like Wilt Chamberlain and Earvin "Magic" Johnson, to Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, with countless others along the way.
The process has involved not just players, but managers, too. In 1992 the wise and gracious Cito Gaston became the first black manager to win a World Series, with the Toronto Blue Jays, while just last year Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith were head coaches of the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears respectively, when the teams met in Super Bowl XLI in Miami – the first NFL championship game in which both teams were managed by an African-American. Gradually, it was taken for granted that blacks could not only excel as performers in sports. They could strategise, organise and man-manage as well.
And so to Obama, a potential winner in presidential politics, the roughest contact sport of all. "Maybe," Deford says, "Barack Obama would have been the nominee if there had never been a Jackie Robinson, a Michael Jordan, a Tony Dungy and a Derek Jeter. But I don't think so."
Maybe he won't win. Maybe America's sleeping demon of race will reawaken on 4 November, when Americans who are now telling pollsters they will vote for a black man refuse to do so behind the curtain of the voting booth.
One thing. however, is sure. After casting his vote on election day, Barack Obama will not tempt the gods. He will repair to a basketball court to indulge his superstition. And perhaps he will spare a thought for the basketball players, the baseball and football idols, the boxers, golfers and tennis players who may have made his entire, amazing journey possible in the first place.
On November 4th, "Do The Right Thing", get out and vote.
With the Air Jordan III/XX Countdown Pack only days away, St. Alfred’s has teamed up with Kane for the first installment of his 23 Reasons project.
This incredible mural project commemorates the achievements of Jordan’s career, along with the shoes we all have come to know and love. Also featured on the mural is “Follow The Leader”, a tribute to the Eric B and Rakim album that also dropped in the year of 1988.
If you are in Chicago, and want to pick up the Countdown Pack at St Alfred’s, you’ll have something nice to look at as you wait for the doors to open, at noon, for this highly anticipated Air Jordan release.
After the huge hype that still surrounds the “Encore” Air Jordan Retro 4 from a few years back, Jordan Brand and Eminem are teaming up once again. This time they chose to do a special makeup of Mr. Mather’s favorite model, the Air Jordan II.
Inspired by his upcoming book, The Way I Am, this model brings a new colorway to the Air Jordan Retro 2. They feature hand-written lyrics from various Eminem songs found on the ankle collar as well as around the toe trim. So far rumor has it that they will be packaged with a limited-edition “The Way I Am” Air Jordan t-shirt.
Another Flight Club exclusive, 313 pairs are scheduled to be released. This number is meant to signify the area code for Detroit, MI. Proceeds from the sales of this package will go towards Eminem’s The Marshall Mather’s Foundation, which is an organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth in the state of Michigan.
As of right now there is no release date or price set for “The Way I Am” Eminem Air Jordan Retro II's.
Peep the new verse from Eminem "I'm Having A Relapse"
What most people remember from the 1993 NBA Playoffs was the heated match-up between the Bulls and Knicks...
That game seven battle was a classic. I think every Knicks fan still hates Charles Smith for blowing the easy layups over and over as the Bulls blocked, smacked and swiped away all the Knicks hopes and dreams of reaching the NBA finals.
You might be asking yourself, What does this have to do with "The Air Jordan Headache?"
Finally some nice shots of this very classy and luxurious Air Jordan 1 in varsity red and dark army. In earlier photos, the premium leathers were off set by the either bad lighting or low resolution pixelated photos.
These new photos finally show off the variety of premium leathers on the upper including a very soft smooth leather, high grade tumble leather and even a soft suede on the toebox. For details, on the top, the laces are a stripped varsity red and dark army and on the bottom, a white midsole and dark army outsole.
The dark army color also extends to the velvet swoosh and inner lining. This colorway does not release until November 8th, 2008 but looks like Asia based retailers already have them in stock. In the US, this colorway is rumored to be an Air Jordan Flight Club exclusive.
United States Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples has handed an official role on his team to basketball legend Michael Jordan for next year's match against the International team.
Jordan has been a regular spectator at both Ryder and Presidents Cups over the past decade and was inside the ropes at Valhalla last month when Paul Azinger's American team regained the Samuel Ryder Trophy with a 16 1/2-11 1/2 victory over Europe.
After recently naming Jay Haas as his assistant, Couples told a captains' press conference at the hosting Harding Park in San Francisco on Wednesday that he was formalising Jordan's role within the US set-up.
"Michael Jordan is an assistant assistant," Couples said. "He's been at every Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup that I've played in, he's extremely passionate about the game of golf. There are a lot of people passionate about the game of golf but I believe in my mind that he can bring something to our team.
"He's won six NBA championships and been an MVP in his league forever. He's dealt with team-mates that were phenomenal players and maybe team-mates that could not play for another team. When you get 12 guys playing, I think he may be able to instil quite a bit to our team."
On being unveiled as the USA captain for the 2009 Presidents Cup, Couples had suggested bringing in comedian Robin Williams to his support staff and he reiterated his desire to see the star also contributing to the American cause.
"I've been on nine teams, and a lot of times, it's not the most exciting time at night and I think Robin would come and loosen us up," Couples added.
"It's not mentioned loosely. It's not mentioned to be smart alecky. The players want to relax and he's just one of my all-time favourites. We just haven't got him to commit yet."
While Couples turns to superstars Jordan and Williams, his opposite number Greg Norman explained why he would be leaning on his recently announced assistant captain Frank Nobilo, the New Zealand former pro turned GOLF Channel television analyst.
"Frank's connection with his knowledge of where the game of golf is right now is going to be paramount to a lot of our success," Norman said. "He has the ability on a week-to-week basis, day-to-day basis to actually go down to the driving range and walk around there and have a chat with the guys and have a chat with the caddies, which is just as important as far as I'm concerned as talking to the players, and get insight of what really is going on.
"My schedule will be increased just a little bit coming into the 2009 season, specifically, because I'm playing in a couple of events and importantly, I need to get out there, too, and talk to a couple of these players and get engage with them."
Norman added that the hard part of his captaincy was only just beginning.
"Our moment starts today," he said. "Our biggest decision to date was finding who would be our assistant captains. I'm sure Freddie felt the same way, because there are a lot of just good individuals out there, not just good golfers out there, but good people we could have chosen for that task.
"Now that that's been put aside, we can focus on our next big step is making sure the 12 members of the team are in a very good, cohesive mind-set going into this time next year."
Even though Michael Jordan pronounced in many commercials that he had failed many many times, as though none of us really realised this point.
To him, his tenure with the Wizards might not have been a failure, if not for the sacking at the end. His failings in life began when he wasn't drafted into his high school team. We, as spectators and fans, never felt those failures. We saw only success—game winning shots, million dollar endorsements and championship rings, not to mention a slew of other awards and accolades.
To his fans, MJ was immortalised when he hit that final game-winning shot. For many, including myself, it was the greatest moment in sporting history. Yet, MJ still had the itch. He came back with the Wizards —and yes, we forgave him for looking a little odd in that uniform.
His body, though still in great shape, had the touch of the middle-aged about it. He was still great, in bouts, but he never captured our imagination like before. In fact, some of us were a little embarrassed to see him out there.
It looked a little strange somehow, as if a golden statue already in its case was suddenly called upon to work again.
Michael Jordan's competitiveness, such a pivotal aspect of his personality, was still on full display. Only now, it seemed to lack a bit of perspective. The fact that he came back shortly after the September 11 attacks didn't help matters.
It seemed as if that sort of fiery competitiveness was okay, even great, during one's younger years—but as one got older, it seemed as if he should be moving on to other ventures. Basketball had already given him everything, but he still wanted more.
Nevertheless, MJ remains a basketball God. As a person, he is perhaps wiser for having made the move to the Wizards.
As fans, we wanted to live in fantasy. But Michael Jordan, throughout the fantasies others have conjured about him, has always remained a practical person. He will move on from the failures.
We're still trying to move on from him.
Thank Vinny Do from the Bleacher Report for the story.
Jay-Z has announced that he is going to be performing three free shows in support of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Jigga will perform a free show Saturday in Detroit, "Operaton Registration", as well as two shows in my hometown of Miami. One show, "Last Chance for Change" on Sunday night at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami and another show on Monday.
This is all part of a major voter-registration drive to get people to get out and vote tor Barack Obama.
You gotta love a Presidential candidate that plays ball and campaigns with Jay-z!
Peep my man Barack in the "Barack Obama Basketball Mixtape". Keep your eye out for a young Obama rockin' the #23 back in highschool.
