Air Jordan: The Rise of a Sneaker Legend

Michael Jordan is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) between 1984 and 2003, winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan was and remains a key figure in popularising basketball and the NBA around the world during the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a global cultural icon. His exceptional leaping ability earned him the nickname Air Jordan.

Beyond his athletic career, Michael Jordan has built a powerful business empire, notably through his ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets and his long-term partnership with Nike, which created the multibillion-dollar Air Jordan brand.

A pair of Air Jordan VII custom basketball shoes, game-worn by Michael Jordan during the 1991–92 NBA season as a member of the Chicago Bulls. Photo: Courtesy of 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum © 2025.

In 1984, Nike launched the signature shoe Air Jordan. For the first time, the company designed a shoe specifically for one athlete: the Air Jordan I. The success of this model led to numerous successors and ultimately to Nike’s first stand-alone subsidiary brand in 1997. Nike subsequently spun off the Jordan line into its own division —the Jordan Brand—featuring athletes and celebrities as endorsers. To date, the Jordan Brand has released 37 sneaker models.

Since 2019, the esports brand Fortnite and Air Jordan have collaborated to merge sport, fashion, and gaming. In 2024, the partnership expanded with Kicks, Fortnite’s digital sneaker feature. Players can now equip their avatars with iconic styles such as the Air Jordan 1 High OG Black Toe Reimagined, seamlessly blending streetwear culture into the virtual world.

To explore more about the Michael Jordan story, visit his display at the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, or experience the temporary exhibitions Esports | A Game Changer and Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street.

Courtesy of the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum Curatorial Team.