But no one seemed prepared for the impact his arrival would generate. They also weren’t prepared eleven years ago, when he played his first professional matches, but he surprised everyone back then, now they all knew what they were facing. And they were not prepared.
JORDAN XI BLACK / RED, MICHAEL'S RETURN TO THE FINALS
After the death of his father, Michael Jordan had abandoned basketball and with him, the universe surrounding the biggest star in the NBA had also left. When the basketball world started looking for its new star, the sports world and the entertainment industry were shaken because of a short fax: "I'm back." Jordan was back. In just 18 months, the basketball sphere had gone from trying to forget his idol to prepare for his return.
Including the producers of Space Jam, the film he was about to shoot, and the NBA. Nor did the Bulls expect it, a team that after losing Michael had finished the regular season at a surprisingly high level. No one expected such a performance from a team that had lost the totem on which it had been built. However, at their crucial moment, they were out of the fight for the championship they had won the previous three seasons with Michael.
Jordan's return was so surprising that Nike had not yet decided what to do with his line. The Jordan X had been developed without Michael's advice and seemed to be the last Jordan, but Tinker Hatfield, the legendary designer of all models since the AJIII was opposed to closing Jordan's story. The announcement of his return made Nike decide to continue a saga that seemed about to disappear.
The first appearance of the Jordan XI was shocking, Tinker Hatfield had begun to develop the new shoes from Michael's requests, but those first prototypes had to remain hidden because they would not reach the market until a few months later. However, Michael was fascinated by them and wore them during the 1995 playoffs. The shiny skin, the translucent sole and the carbon fibre plate meant a mixture of aesthetics and performance that he probably wasn’t expecting.
But Michael's return was not easy. Despite some bright moments, the Bulls were again out of the final playoff phase, having had some failures coming from their star in the decisive moments. It was the perfect stimulus for the Bulls to start preparing something great for the next season. Michael Jordan had a new attitude, Scottie Pippen had proven himself, Dennis Rodman joined the team and some veterans were the core of the locker room. This is how for many people the best team in history was being set up.
During the regular 1995-96 season, the renewed Bulls achieved the record of victories and presented themselves in the playoffs as clear favourites. They did it following a tradition that had begun in 1989; wearing black sneakers at the final moment showing that they could work as a team. The Jordan XI Black / Red became the shoes of a team that worked as a steamroller. The result was the fourth ring for Michael Jordan, who was also MVP of the All Star of the regular season and the finals.
The game that would give the final victory to the Bulls over the Sonics was celebrated precisely on Father's Day and has gone down in history as one of the few moments in which Michael Jordan showed his most emotional side. Lying down, first on the court and then in the locker room, it was the perfect day to remember his father.
That black and red sneaker for the playoffs was the last of the few original colours of the Jordan XI. Since then, it has been reissued on specific occasions, and it does so now recovering classic details that include the original box.
