Michael Jordan paid a hefty price for wearing his original 1985 Chicago Air Jordan 1s against the New York Knicks during a regular season matchup in March 1998. He talked about it in the fifth episode of “The Last Dance.”
A symbolic end to the rivalry
Jordan and the Chicago Bulls took on the Knicks inside Madison Square Garden, with rumors suggesting it may be MJ’s last appearance in the Garden as a member of the Bulls.
That turned out to be true, as Jordan suited up for the last time, donning the famous red jersey inside a packed stadium in Manhattan. When speaking with Ahmad Rashad before the contest, it was clear his shoe choice was intentional—MJ wanted to put on a show for the crowd in the sneakers that started it all.
“It’s been a long time since I wore them, and it’s funny coming back and playing and remembering some of the old days and some of the games I had here, and the shoes are a part of that. But, my feet are killing me. I came in to play hard, and every time I came here, it’s fun; you want to play hard and always has a challenge with the Knicks. I come in with the same focus, and today is no different,” he said.
MJ’s sock was soaked in blood
Needless to say, the Knicks crowd was treated to another masterpiece by Jordan, who sizzled for 42 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals in the dominant 102-89 victory.
Unfortunately, his performance came at a price, given that his shoes had shrunk. In “The Last Dance,” he revealed that having a good game forced him to keep them on, but it cost his feet dearly.
“By halftime, my feet are bleeding, but I’m having a good game, and I don’t want to take them off. I couldn’t take those shoes fast enough, and when I took the shoes off, my sock was soaked in blood,” Jordan said.
MJ took great pride in his performances. However, what made him special outside of his competitive will to win was his recognition of the moment and his giving back to the fans who had admired him for the best part of two decades.
Despite being fierce rivals during his career, Jordan respected the battles against the Knicks, and it showed with his commitment to wearing his original shoes in their last matchup in New York.