SLAM Presents JORDAN

It's been a while since I actually bought a Slam Magazine... I mean I still look thru every months issue when I see it on the shelf, but I havnt actually bought an issue for a long time...



I have a feeling this issue will be one worth buying 3 copies. One to read, one to stash, and 1 that I can rip all the pictures out of...

Via Slam Online

The greatest player of our time is going into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and all of us at SLAM—who know full well our mag might not even exist if this guy hadn’t come along to make basketball as popular as it is—wanted to celebrate it by giving him a special issue.

As I say in my editor’s letter in the issue, for a magazine that started when Michael Jordan was retired from the NBA, SLAM quickly became the best at covering MJ. Think about it: the snafu with Sports Illustrated criticizing his baseball career created a long-lasting rift betwen Mike and the mag, and I don’t recall ESPN the Magazine ever caring too much about Mike. Without any other comp in the bball realm, I’ll humbly state that for the better part of our 15-year history, SLAM has been the best mag for MJ fans.

This status is due to a few things I feel blessed to have inherited. There was the devotion to MJ as a player and shoe salesman that led previous Eds. Tony Gervino and Russ Bengtson to give Mike his props in SLAM whenever warranted, which was often. There was also the inside knowledge, relationship skills and unique voice that Scoop Jackson brought to SLAM. Re-reading all his amazing stories in this issue reminds me a, how Scoop, during his SLAM days, might have been tighter with Mike than any other member of the media, b, how dope his writing was and c, how much we miss him.

Most of all, though, MJ’s consistent presence in SLAM over the past decade and a half has been due to the man himself. We cover basketball and basketball shoes, and he is basketball and basketball shoes. Throw in a willingness to speak with us over the years, and we’ve had a perfect match.

Incidentally, many people out there seem to agree with us as the MJ authority. Peep the voting results right here for some proof (and keep voting through August 31 to complete the rout, if you’d like.)

Michael’s induction to the Hall will take place on September 11, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will run a special exhibit through the rest of the year. All of this will be matched with breathless tributes. As the magazine that has covered Michael the best of all, this compilation of priceless photos, classic stories and unique new articles serve as your guide to it all.

So, head to your local magazine retailer (to the best of my knowledge, this will be sold more places and in greater quantities than the typical SLAM or KICKS), and pick it up! For fans of the great Michael Jordan, this will be the ultimate magazine.

Jordan Moments Collection

The Jordan Moments Collection brings together three legendary Jordan Brand sneakers to honor Michael Jordan’s ongoing contribution to the sport of basketball, pop culture and sneaker world.



Each shoe in the Jordan Moments Collection represents a different stage of MJ’s legacy, beginning with the shoe that started it all, the Air Jordan 1. The Jordan 6 Rings highlights each of MJ’s six championships, and the Air Jordan 2009 honors the future of the brand.



The collection introduces the moments graphic, which was inspired by the collection of moments that defined MJ’s career. It features 23 of the most iconic numbers, or moments, including his average points per game (30.12), Rookie of the Year award (1985) and jersey numbers (23/45), to name a few.





The Jordan Moments Collection features three shoes sold separately that will be available on Saturday, September 5, 2009

Thank NiceKicks.com for this really dope photo shoot.

Rare Jordan 60 Minutes Interview Circa '87

I've said it on the blog time after time, just when I feel like I've seen every Michael Jordan interview and every rare clip another one pops up on youtube...

Check out this really dope interview with a Diane Sawyer for 60 minutes from 1987.

A very young, timid, shy Michael Jordan talks about a range of topics from drugs, to endorsements, to never having a girlfriend in highschool. This is truly a rare look at the Michael Jordan very few fans remember.

Enjoy-




Thank youtube member "r23o" for the link.

Michael Jordan & 500 Dunks

I don't know if its really 500 dunks... but watching old highlights of Mike dunking never gets old.

Enjoy-

Mike's First Dunk @ Chicago Stadium '84

Peep this rare footage of Mike's first ever dunk at the old Chicago Stadium...



Slam, Jam, Thank you Mamm'

1 on 1: Mike vs. Eddie Alexander 1987

Enjoy this interview with Eddie Alexander back in 1987...

ONLINE STORE RE-STOCKED!

We recenlty re-stocked our online store, New LIKE MIKE shirts as well as a few new colors of the older LIKE MIKE classics.

All LIKE MIKE shirts are only $23.

Click HERE to go shopping.





All LIKE MIKE shirts are only $23.

Click HERE to go shopping.

Michael Jordan - THE EULOGY

And yet another Michael Jordan highlight video...

Enjoy-

White Men Can't Jump

Check out this video of some white guy trying to jump over a cheerleader in the slam dunk contest...

The slow-mo replay is priceless.

Enjoy-





Thank Dustin Canalin for the link.

Right Click Save

Raquel Reign wearing the Retro Air Jordan XIV’s...

Enjoy-





Thank SneakerTalk.com for the flicks.

Air Jordan Alpha 1

Check out the catalog images of the new Air Jordan Alpha 1's...



I usually don't like to mess with a classic... But this looks like a nice twist on the originals.



Looking forward to seeing these in person.

H-O-R-S-E Shot of the Year

Remember Mike & Larrys famous McDonalds commerical where they are playing "Horse" for Mike's Big Mac?

The first few shots were cool, over the backboard, the kneeling 3-pointer, seemed plausible...



Doubt crept in as the fullcourt jumpers swished in a little too easy. By the time Larry Bird and Michael Jordan started calling bank off the scoreboard and through windows, well, there wasn't much question the shots were made in the editing room, not on the court...





Now Denis Clemente's shot... the one that generated 5,000 views in one day on YouTube, Believe it.

Over the backboard, off the scoreboard, off the floor, nothing but net -- all real.



No director, no Big Mac on the line, no post-production splicing.

Just two Kansas State players engaged in a game of H-O-R-S-E, one with a video camera rolling, the other pulling off the kind of shot that should have been worth at least 2 letters.

Retro's in the Hall of Fame?

Just found this picture of the new Michael Jordan display at the Basketball Hall of Fame...



Really disappointed to see that Jordan Brand put up some retro's instead of the Original Jordans from that year...

Looks like the 1's are the pantent leather I's maybe, and the 3's are some unrelased sample fire red's. If you look close you can see the 3's, 4's, and 5's, and most likley the 6's, all have jumpmans and not the NIKE AIR that belongs on the back of the sneakers for the Hall of Fame display.



This is supposed to used to educate the younger generations. You should be able to take your kid there one day and say, you see these Air Jordans right here, I got them when I was in 5th grade 30 years ago.

Its like going to a car museum and seeing a replica instead of an original classic car. My grandpa would have been like look at this piece of shit. This is not what I had back in '55. This is a joke.

Does that make sense to anyone else besides me?

They should have had me put that display together... I would never have let the retro's ride like that.

I would have hunted down 1-23 all original exactly what Mike wore or would have worn on the court...

Whatever...

Its my blog, i'll talk shit if I want.

Michael Jordan shows Slamball's Chris Young he's still the Greatest

Why does any discussion of NBA basketball - specifically, the Bulls - still start and end with the words: Michael Jordan? Because the greatest player ever - no disrespect, Wilt - still has game.

Just check out the video below with a 46-year-old, puffy Jordan sporting some truly baggy jeans facing up Chris "The Ghetto Bird" Young, dropping fadeaway after fadeaway over the 6-foot-4, 180-pound 20-something.

And if that weren't enough, he starts off with a flat-footed reverse slam from under the basket, a feat Slamball star Young can't do facing forward.

Of course, Jordan talks trash the entire time, asking Young to tell him which side he wants to defend, then knocking down shots from right there. "How many times you gotta see it," you can here a teammate ask from the side.

You can just smell the edge - Jordan's laughing and joshing, but he wants to beat this kid and wants this kid to know he got beat.

So, does this set us up for another comeback? Can the Bulls line up his Airness, maybe just leave him on the bench til the fourth quarter or the final 5 minutes of a game? OK, maybe we're not there. But it's pretty clear Jordan still has skills you can only dream about and clearly still has the competitive fire that made him the greatest.

Enjoy-



While we could do without the “Where Amazing Happens” soundtrack and slow-mo replays during the final minute of the footage, it’s always nice to see Greatness on the court (and talkin’shirt, of course). Sorry Chris “The Ghetto Bird” Young, but the 46-year-old Mike just left you grounded.

Air Jordan 6 Retro Doernbecher Freestyle

Jordan Brand is teaming up with the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital again to help raise funds for significant medical research and resources. Last year, we saw the creative vision of Tony Taylor Jr. on the Air Jordan 1 High, and now we have a first look at this year’s project, the Air Jordan 6 Retro.




The shoe features a dark navy blue upper with some interesting accents like the dramatic stitching and an embossed “06-08″ on the side panel. The rest of the shoe is filled out with a red tongue, heel tab, and midsole, along with gold inner lining and ankle collar. Just like the recent Olympic 6 Retro, the shoe also has a clear outsole. Other features include the satin/nylon inner lining and insole along with the words “What Time Is It?” and “Game Time!” embroidered on the inside of each tongue.






No details on the release date, but like last year’s release, you can expect the shoe to drop this Fall.

Thank NiceKicks.com for the info.

Wade wearing Air Jordans in NBA Live 2010

For the past several years many first looks at sneakers have come by way of sneaker shots of upcoming video games. With such detail and high resolution graphics, sneaker brands realize the opportunity that is provided to them by getting their shoes in the game.



In some preview shots of the new NBA Live 2010, one can clearly see Carmelo Anthony wearing his latest signature, the Jordan Melo M6, but what caught our attention was Dwyane Wade wearing the Jordan 16.5. Keeping things true and authentic, EA Sports has Dwyane wearing Jordan Brand product, but one might beg to ask the question of how long did EA Sports know about Wades eventual move to JB from Converse?



Thank NiceKicks.com for the info.

LIKE MIKE Movie of the Week: HOOP DREAMS

It's been years since I have seen this film, just watched it the other night on netflix...



Hands down one of my favorite basketball films I have EVER seen.

3 hours long...

Worth every minute.

The trailer is kinda corny, does the film no justice, but trust me, this is a film every basketball fan must see, and every sneaker head will definitely love.

Enjoy-

Never Gets Old To Me...

The Mighty Mos Def

Enjoy-

Phil Like's Mike

Peep this vintage footage of Phil Jackson rocking the Air Jordan IV's in the 1989 Eastern Confrence Finals against the Pistons after hitting "The Shot" against Craig Eilo and the Cavs.



Check out Phil dipped head to toe in an original Nike Air Jordan set for a team picture.



Must be nice to get your Air Jordans from directly from Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan Hall of Fame Exhibit

Pharaoh of Pop?

The Pharaoh of Pop doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as The King of Pop, but visitors to Chicago’s Field Museum could swear that’s Michael Jackson's face on a 3,000-year-old Egyptian bust.

The spitting image limestone sculpture has been on display at the museum since 1988, but recently started drawing attention because of its likeness to MJ --- complete with disfigured nose.



Unfortunately the bust, which was carved sometime between 1550 B.C. and 1050 B.C., is of a woman and MJ likely never had the chance to see the statuette.

“I have no idea whether Jackson ever visited the museum,” a Field spokesperson said to the Sun-Times' Michael Sneed. “But the similarity between the limestone statue of a woman – which is about 3,000 years old --- and Jackson is astounding.”

I was going to add the "Remember The Time" video to this post for the obvious Egyptian connections and but something else caught my eye that I wanted to share with you instead...

A true Michael Jackson fan will love Kina Grannis's cover of "Remember the Time".

Enjoy-

LIKE MIKE X SNEAKER TALK

My homie Dro from The305.com recently started a new Sneaker based website called SneakerTalk.com. Peep the flicks of model/singer/dancer "Zuly" featured on the site in front of my custom LIKE MIKE basketball backboard.



I made this 1 of 1 custom backboard for Hoop-It-Up Miami back in '07 with the help of my homies from Bird Club Clothing. Layers and layers of hand cut images of Jordan, Sneakers and other Jordan related images hand placed and applied with spray adhesive then coated with a clear plastic resin then mounted with a regulation size basket ball hoop.



If I can get some higher res photos of the hoop I will re-post it.

Here's a look back at the display I had along with Culture Kings & Bird Club Clothing.



Make sure you check out the new site: www.SneakerTalk.com for the latest in Sneaker News, Industry Insight, Exclusive Interviews & much more.



Thank David Rasario for the flicks.

2 Words: SPACE JAMS

For most Jordan Heads the AJ XI's are usally top of the list when you talk about your favorite Air Jordans.

And finally the Air Jordan XI "Space Jams" are being re-released.



The original retro version that dropped in 2000 is actually the O.G. since they were never actually released when the original XI's dropped back in '96. Mike only wore then in the movie and a hand full of NBA games.



I have never owned this shoe but have always wanted a pair, and now on Black Friday I get my chance to finally get my pair.



I think I might even get 2 pairs, I'll need a fresh pair for my wedding day!

Vintage MJ & Rodman Interview Circa '96

Check out this interview with Michael Jordan & Dennis Rodman speaking about Dennis joining the Bulls & the impact on the 1996 NBA season together and a few other intresting topics.

Enjoy-



Thank youtube member "Scottie33Pippen" for the link.

Welcome Home Dwayne

Peep my man D. Wade rockin' the freshly designed "Welcome Home" Jordan Brand shirt...



D. Wade is my new generation Michael Jordan. The homie is from Chicago, plays for my home town Miami Heat, and he made us Champions. Adding him to Jordan Brand was all that was missing.

You thought Eddie Jones & Derrick Anderson has exclusives when they played for Miami?

Just wait till the upcoming NBA Season. Wade is going to re-define the phrase "Miami Heat".