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Last Friday, Stephen A. Smith had to make an unexpected trip to the hospital after suffering a fall on the practice court at NBA All-Star Weekend. Viral videos show Smith chasing after a basketball before slipping and landing awkwardly.
Smith’s dress shoes were to blame, as those were not meant for the hardwood. The host of ESPN’s First Take and NBA Countdown toughed it out and was able to coach the Celebrity Game later that night, where he roamed the sidelines without a visible limp.
However, a spirited discussion with NBA legend Michael Jordan could have helped put the pep back in Smith’s step. The outspoken sports pundit told the media that Jordan gave him an earful for his choice of footwear.
According to Smith, Jordan cussed him out for wearing dress shoes and not sneakers on the basketball court. But by the time Smith returned to his hotel room, a brand new pair of unreleased Air Jordan sneakers were waiting on him. Jordan had gifted Smith the Air Jordan 4 ‘Bred Reimagined’ colorway.
Smith mistakenly told the reporters the wrong name and release date of the old-school hoop shoes. They actually released on February 17 for $215. The iconic black and red sneakers sold out online and now have an average resale price of roughly $300 on most websites.
Athletes and fans looking to upgrade their sneaker rotation and/or avoid the ire of the greatest basketball player of all time can find plenty of retro Air Jordans at retail prices on the Nike website.
Injuries are never funny, but the idea of “MJ” calling and cussing you out after spraining an ankle is pretty great – especially when it results in an awesome gift. Stay locked into FanNationKicks.com for all your footwear news from the sports world.