Michael Jordan x GQ Magazine 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time Cover

Michael Jordan covers GQ Magazine‘s February 2011 issue as one of its 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time. Other names on the list include “Broadway” Joe Namath, Muhammad Ali and, of course, Walt “Clyde” Frazier.

For Air Jordan’s entry, writer Bethlehem Shoals of FreeDarko takes the greatest basketball player of all time to task for miscues (overall assholeness) that have tarnished his reputation as of late. Shoals does point out that when #23 entered the NBA and was without his epic reputation, good and bad, he truly was a game changer, literally and figuratively.

Yep, on the cover his Airness is rocking the Air Jordan 7 in its OG White/Light Silver-True Red colorway—aka “Hare Jordans” thanks to Nike’s marketing campaign that incorporated Bugs Bunny—which places the cover photo around 1992. See the commercial for the Air Jordan 7 below where Jordan is rocking the Bordeaux colorway, which happens to finally be getting the retro treatment. That’s all folks.

Air Jordan III – Black History Month 2011

The cement greys are getting copped shortly off of g.p., but these Black History Month Air Jordan IIIs with the black and gold colorway are a must. [Pics swiped from High Snobiety and Nice Kicks]

The Perfect Sneaker – Air Jordan III

The perfect sneaker; the Air Jordan III (1988). Nike pump faked and said another retro run would drop this year, but now it’s looking like 2011 will see their return. Below, Michael “Air” Jordan throws it down, with room to spare, from the free throw line in the ’88 Slam Dunk contest. [OG scan via Classic Kicks]

Michael Jordan Rookie Card x Pause

I always found this Michael Jordan rookie card from Fleer hilarious. Back in high school we used to love saying “in ya mouth” whenever we were hooping and pulled off a nice play (say, clapping boards, hitting a jumper in someone’s face, and eventually, dunking on a burger).

In this coveted rookie card what appears to be Michael Ray Richardson of the New Jersey Nets is seeing firsthand one of MJ’s high flying forays to the cup. The angle of the photographer’s shot makes it seem like Sugar Ray (yep, that was his nickname) is one of the victims in those Nike ads that got homosexuals in a tiff and were banned a few years back. Pause indeed.

Vintage Nike Sneaker Ads

Classic Kicks just posted some vintage Nike ads that will surely have long time sneaker connoisseurs feeling nostalgic. Also makes a good point about how all current marketing bells and whistles (celeb endorsements, limited edition releases, etc.) tend to overshadow the performance aspect of the shoes. It used to be that style always followed function, which isn’t the case nowadays.

Dope ads for coveted kicks like the Air Max 90, Air Tech Challenge and Air Trainer SC and many more (exactly why plenty have been reissued in recent years) are included. Now Nike needs to stop playing and deliver those Air Jordan IIIs back to stores as promised.

Back Again: Air Jordan III Retro White/Cement Grey

Air Jordan 3

I was in the 6th grade, standing at the bus stop on the corner of 174th Street & Longfellow Ave., waiting for the BX36 to take me from my South Bronx hood to what was then CS 102 in Parkchester.

It was while waiting for that sure to be too crowded bus in the a..m. where I saw a high school aged dude with a high-top fade rocking the above kicks; Air Jordan IIIs. At that point in time I had no clue what the shoes were. They were bright white, with illy snakeskin—no Nike check, but aha…the Air bubble. Those had to be the latest Js.

Seeing Kid ‘N Play rock them in their “Gettin’ Funky” video on Video Music Box (below), and Mars Blackmon (above), made me fiend for a pair just as much as Michael Jordan’s feats on the basketball court. But being that I wasn’t anywhere near a child of privilege, I didn’t even bother asking mom dukes for a pair. Knowing they were a buck ($100) plus at retail, i had to make due with my lo-top Air Trainers (about 60 to 70 beans at Dr. Jays on 3rd Ave, sale).

When the Air Jordan III’s get a retro-release sometime this year—Nice Kicks says they’ll be part of a Slam Dunk pack (MJ won the ’88 Slam Dunk contest in them)—they will get copped (two pairs), off g.p.