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Michael Jordan's First NBA Game: The Real "Banned" Story
42 years ago, on October 26, 1984, Michael Jordan played his first NBA game, and he wasn't wearing Air Jordans. In this episode, Nick Engvall tells the real story of the "Banned" Air Jordan 1: the Nike Air Ship Jordan actually wore, the NBA letter dated October 18, 1984, the "devil colors" quote nobody can source, and the 1985 Nike newsletter line that says the shoes were never banned at all.
From the 1985 commercial to the $1.47 million game-worn Air Ships at Sotheby's, the 2011 outlet "Banned" release, Unbanned (2018) and Air (2023), here's how one shoe became the most famous rule breaker…
The skinny
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