Image via Complex Original
Ever since they first dropped in 1985, Air Jordans have been a status symbol, both on and (especially) off the court. For $65 — and later $100 — anyone could elevate their game. On the streets, anyway. And you didn't need to be from Chicago or even a basketball fan to represent. From rappers to artists to models to athletes in other sports — everyone wanted to be like Mike, at least for a while. Even fictional characters kept it real in Js. No dunking from the free-throw line necessary. And while the relatively recent retro movement has everyone looking like OGs, we had to recognize the REAL OGs who were doing it back in the '80s. Peep The Greatest Off-Court Moments In Air Jordan History and see how many you remember.
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25. Dwyane Wade wears IIIs to celebrate his 2nd.
Sneaker: Air Jordan III "White/Cement"
Year (of Moment): 2012
Notable for being Dwyane Wade's first title as part of the Big Three, it also represented Wade's last significant moment in Air Jordans before moving on to Li Ning. It's perhaps worth noting that his Li Nings aren't even available at retail yet.
24. DJ Khaled takes a dip.
Sneaker: Air Jordan III "White/Cement"
Year (of Moment): 2012
Your grails are DJ Khaled's water shoes. He the best.
23. Mike Tyson makes a phone call.
Sneaker: Air Jordan III "White/Cement"
Year (of Moment): 1988
"Hey champ, it's Don King! Only in America! Hey, we have to talk about your money. You see, I had to keep more, and... Mike? Champ? Are you there? Hello?"
22. Kanye for MVP.
Sneaker: Air Jordan VI "Black/Infrared"
Year (of Moment): 2004
OK, this might be cheating a bit-that is a basketball court, after all. But of all the times Kanye wore black/Infrared VIs (and it's been a lot) this shot from The College Dropout CD booklet is by far the best.
21. Larry David does genius things.
Sneaker: Air Jordan VI
Year (of Moment): 1992
Given Larry David's, shall we say, eccentricity, it wouldn't surprise us at all if he just helped himself to Jerry Seinfeld's sneaker cast-offs. After all, it was Jerry who rocked current Nikes on the regular, and Larry's VIs look a little, um, lived-in.
20. Jay-Z looks out over his kingdom.
Sneaker: Air Jordan VI "Black/Infrared"
Year (of Moment): 2012
As Jay-Z looked from his old stash house to the Barclays Center—a house he helped build—it was only appropriate that he was outfitted in the Air Jordan VI. What was once a status symbol for a young rapper in 1991 helped show just how far he'd come.
19. Jeff Ament was not a hypebeast.
Sneaker: Air Jordan III "Black/Cement"
Year (of Moment): 1995
Pearl Jam weren't just huge basketball fans—they initially named the band 'Mookie Blaylock'—they played the game, too. It's unlikely that Jeff Ament actually took to the court in his crispy Air Jordan III retros, but they probably did see plenty of stages.
18. Jake Shuttlesworth buys the new Air Jordans.
Sneaker: Air Jordan XIII "White/Black/Red"
Year (of Moment): 1998
While his son Jesus wore a veritable Foot Locker's worth of high-end Nikes as the hottest high-school basketball player in the nation in He Got Game, Jake Shuttlesworth wanted just one pair. Fresh out of the state pen, he went in search of the new Air Jordans, sticker shock be damned.
17. Eazy-E was an OG.
Sneaker: Air Jordan III "White/Cement"
Year (of Moment): 1988
Not only did Eazy-E bust out the white/cement IIIs in '88, he put together the whole 'fit complete with the Air Jordan sweater. So nice they had to show him thrice. This whole combo should have dropped with the '88s.
16. Jay Z goes for gold.
Sneaker: Air Jordan IV "Black/Cement"
Year (of Moment): 1990
Before Jay-Z became Hov, he was killing it in proper late '80s style. Yup, he's been around for a minute. And he kept it correct from the gold to the fade to the Air Jordan IVs. Jay didn't start in the retro era, believe that.
15. Fat Joe tastes the magic.
Sneaker: Air Jordan VII "Olympic"
Year (of Moment): 2004
It's a good thing that the epidemic of sneaker-licking set off by Fat Joe's 2004 MTV Cribs appearance ("$5,000 on the eBay.") didn't set off a whole other epidemic of sneaker-related illnesses. Have you ever taken a good whiff of a pair of fresh-out-the-box sneakers? Of course you have. You don't want to swallow that stuff.
14. Keith Haring throws up.
Sneaker: Air Jordan 1 "White/Black/Red"
Year (of Moment): 1985
Keith Haring was beyond OG. And it isn't just his signature characters that endure. Check that whole 'fit-someone could wear that today and be killing it, and he was on it 30 years ago. King.
13. Kate Upton knows.
Sneaker: Air Jordan VII
Year (of Moment): 2012
Of all the photos of Kate Upton that are out there, the one that appeals the most to sneakerheads is this decidedly nonprofessional, decidedly SFW one of her scrunched into an office chair. Why? It's gotta be the shoes. The "Mineral Blue" Air Jordan VII Retro has never looked so good.
12. Megadeth's Dave Mustaine had black/royal 1s before you.
Sneaker: Air Jordan 1 "Black/Royal"
Year (of Moment): 1985
Either Dave Mustaine was a sneakerhead, or he just happened to cop the right sneakers all the time. From Air Pressures to Tech Challenges, the Megadeth frontman spent the '80s and '90s in non-stop Nike heat, starting with the classic black/royal Air Jordan 1s. Take that, Metallica.
11. LL Cool J can't live without his radio. Or his 1s.
Sneaker: Air Jordan 1 "Black/Red"
Year (of Moment): 1985
This is the classic LL Cool J we all remember (dammit, Brad Paisley), with the Kangol and the b-boy pose, before he got all swole and started fighting sharks and shit. The all-black outfit finished off with the black/red Jordan 1s had to even give Run DMC envy.
10. Batman wants to be like Mike.
Sneaker: Air Jordan VI
Year (of Moment): 1992
When you're Tim Burton and you're looking for a starting point for Batman's boots, there are worse places to start than the current Air Jordan. A blacked-out version of the Air Jordan VI was the starting point for the second-most intruiging wardrobe item in Batman Returns—sorry, but nothing comes close to Michelle Pfeiffer's patent leather catsuit.
9. Phil Jackson inspires Erik Spoelstra.
Sneaker: Air Jordan IV "Black/Cement"
Year (of Moment): 1991
One of the benefits of being the coach of the greatest player ever is that you have access to his shoes. We don't know whether Phil Jackson wore Mike's size or what, but we do know he could make a pair of sneakers last-rocking these IVs all the way in 1991 following the Bulls' first title. Sorry Spo, Phil beat you to that, too.
8. Jerry Seinfeld covers "Playboy."
Sneaker: Air Jordan VII "Cardinal"
Year (of Moment): 1993
We know, it's tough to look away from the phone booth stuffed with lovelies, but yes, Jerry Seinfeld was on the cover of October 1993's Playboy as well. Funny thing is, with the varsity jacket and Cardinal Air Jordan VIIs, he'd fit right in today. Might have to do something about the haircut and the shirt, though.
7. David Letterman makes a funny.
Sneaker: Air Jordan 1 "Black/Red"
Year (of Moment): 1986
Following his second season, Michael Jordan appeared on David Letterman's show to help push his first shoe. While Letterman had the best joke of the day, the scene was absolutely stolen by Jordan's insane sweatsuit. Kind of surprised the NBA didn't ban that, too.
6. Boyz II Men grow up.
Sneaker: Air Jordan XI "Concord"
Year (of Moment): 1996
It is absolutely ridiculous that there is zero photo evidence (online, at least) of Boyz II Men wearing Air Jordan XIs at the 1996 Grammy Awards. The story has been confirmed by too many people to declare it an urban myth, but come on. Give us something. (The shot from Jimmy Kimmel will have to do.)
5. Lance Mountain doesn't care about matching.
Sneaker: Air Jordan 1 "Black/Royal" and "White/Carolina"
Year (of Moment): 1987
Air Jordan 1s were the skate shoe of choice for a while in the late '80s—the ankle protection was great, and overproduction made them dirt cheap. The entire Bones Brigade shredded their way through a truckload of Jordans in 1987's The Search For Animal Chin, none more stylishly than current Nike SB skater Lance Mountain, who wore a black/royal 1 on one foot and a white/Carolina on the other. The price both DS pairs would fetch on eBay today is likely more than the entire production cost of the video.
4. Ronnie Lott gears up for the Super Bowl.
Sneaker: Air Jordan IV "Black/Cement"
Year (of Moment): 1990
Black Air Jordans weren't just for the NBA Playoffs. A few months after Michael Jordan ruined Craig Ehlo's day/playoffs/career/life in the black/cement Air Jordan IVs, San Francisco 49ers All-Pro safety Ronnie Lott wore them in Super Bowl XXIV against the Denver Broncos. Result? 49ers 55, Broncos 10. Always bet on black.
3. Big Daddy Kane maxes and relaxes.
Sneaker: Air Jordan IV "White/Black/Red"
Year (of Moment): 1989
If there was ever one shot that absolutely defined Air Jordan off the court, it's this one. It's a Big Daddy thing.
2. Mars Blackmon doesn't take his Air Jordans off for anything.
Sneaker: Air Jordan 1
Year (of Moment): 1985
Before he became an official pitchman for Air Jordan, Mars Blackmon was just a bike messenger from Brooklyn with a serious Jordan addiction. Spike played a major role in his first film, She's Gotta Have It, and his character didn't take his 1s off for anything—and we mean anything. The biggest question is whether they were black/red or black/royal. Damn black and white cinema.
1. Buggin' Out has a dispute on the sidewalk.
Sneaker: Air Jordan IV "White/Cement"
Year (of Moment): 1989
This scene from Do The Right Thing has been parsed so many times that it's not even worth discussing anymore. Legendary.
