We know it is hard for some of you to get your minds around the concept of Michael Jordan wearing anything other than Nike’s, but prior to joining the NBA and the Chicago Bulls, in a time before Air Jordan’s, Michael wore the same brand of basketball shoes that all of Dean Smith’s University of North Carolina Tar Heels did… Converse All Stars.
So in the spring of 1984 when Michael headed to Bloomington, Indiana to compete in the USA Olympic trials, he brought along his Carolina issued Converse shoes to play in. The trials were held in Bloomington as Indiana University legend Bobby Knight was the Team USA Coach.
Amazingly it was not a given, even for the talented Jordan, that he would secure a spot on the roster. Remember, these were the Olympic trials where future Hall of Famers Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and John Stockton were among those cut by Knight during the tryouts. But Michael was Michael and was a dominant player in the scrimmages against his “peers” and then later in a series of exhibition games against NBA players.
The team worked their way west (the 1984 Olympic games were held in Los Angeles) and after the final tune-up game in San Diego, California on July 25, 1984, Jordan gifted these Converse shoes to the teenage son of the USA team physician, who was with the team on parts of their journey.
These size "13" sneakers exhibit solid wear from the young star on the rise, but still present extremely well for vintage kicks. The shoes are dual-signed by Jordan in red ink. The right shoe signature rates a 7/10, while the left shoe autograph has some fading. Other signers on the shoes include fellow future Hall of Famer and 1992 “Dream Team” teammate Chris Mullin, plus ’84 USA players Vern Fleming, Alvin Robertson and Wayman Tisdale (D. 2009).
The 1984 USA team, the last amateur “Dream Team”, was led by Jordan and won Olympic Gold in Los Angeles. That spring and summer, while donning his Converse shoes on the hardwood, served as a springboard for the greatness we were to become accustomed to from Michael Jordan!
The shoes include a vintage Converse duffel bag and shirt from the '84 Olympics. Letter of provenance from son of team doctor. Full LOA from PSA/DNA for each shoe.