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 in sneaker history. Watch the video version with the photos, the commercial and the game footage: https://www.youtube.com/@NickatSneakerHistory The full Air Jordan 1 story on SneakerHistory.com: https://sneakerhistory.com/air-jordan-1-history-lesson/ The Sneaker Newsletter: https://www.thesneakernewsletter.com/ My book, Small Luxuries: Sneakers: https://bookshop.org/a/122044/9798317900854 Everything Sneaker History in one place: https://sneakerhistory.com/links Sources: the 1985 Nike employee newsletter via CLLCT (https://www.cllct.com/sports-collectibles/memorabilia/nike-internal-newsletter-sheds-new-light-on-banned-air-jordan-1s); Sports Illustrated, December 10, 1984; Sotheby's, October 2021. Tell someone you like their kicks today. You never know how far a compliment will take you. And we all know how good it feels to be on the receiving end of some appreciation. SUPPORT THE SHOW: Donate Through Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/sneakerhistory Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/nickengvall Patreon: https://patreon.com/sneakerhistory If you are interested in advertising to our audience, contact us: podcast@sneakerhistory.com CHECK OUT OUR OTHER SHOWS: For the Formula 1 Fans - Exhaust Notes: https://exhaustnotes.fm For the Fitted Hat Fans - Crown and Stitch: https://crownandstitch.com For the Cars & Sneakers Fans - Cars & Kicks: https://carsxkicks.com For the Creators & Creatives - Outside The Box: https://podcasts.apple.com/id/podcast/outside-the-box-convos-with-creators/id1050172106 [Links contain affiliate links; we may receive a small commission if you purchase after clicking a link. A great way to support the pod!] —––––—––––—––––—––––—––––—––––—––––—–––– Our podcast is proudly... Recorded on Riverside: http://www.riverside.fm/?via=sneakerhistory Hosted & Distributed By Captivate: https://bit.ly/3j2muPb Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/