GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

[TriplexXxSports]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

The Jordan in GFC pics clearly has a name/number change on the back. Why not try and research this rather than focus on knee braces & shoes?

You guys are onto some GREAT ideas but I think this trait is a more deceive factor in pinpointing the specific time frame this jersey is from. If one can only locate a good pic showing this characteristic....

Very quickly browsing, and it may be a far cry, I found a pic from the '84-'85 season against the Trail Blazers. The photo is dark, and the image quality is shaky at best, but does it look as though you can see the old numbers around the 2 & 3 on the back?

[kingjammy24]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

in the GFC pic he isn't wearing a knee brace. in beantown's pic he is. jordan can be seen wearing a knee brace on his left knee back in his UNC days. the only pics i can find of him not wearing one in 1984 is at the all-star game. if he wore one since UNC, it makes me wonder why he's not wearing on in the GFC pic. i checked the video of his NBA debut and he wore one in his first NBA game.



anyway, i came across this quote from jordan from a nov 1986 issue of SI. he's talking about his shorts:

"Last year they were 36's," he says. "This year they're 34's that are two inches longer than normal."

rudy.

[beantown]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

I found another photo of MJ wearing this style font....unfortunatley don't know when/where taken....

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

don't forget these:

I am not sure if he ever wore those with the black toe in a game. But, I am unsure about many things. They are the holy grail of retail original AJI.

but where's that pic from? sure would be nice to know. its a very unique jersey due to that font and i have scoured tons of images and video from the 1984-85 season and every single image and video i've seen has shown jordan wearing properly-fonted jerseys. it's almost as if that jersey made an appearance in the preseason and never again.

I also would like to know...

first photo is the '84 all star game. not sure what the second photo is from.



rudy.

Group photo are participants from the '85 Dunk Contest. From 84-85, played in Feb. 85 in Indy.

In order from left to right:
Drexler
Woolridge
MJ
not sure? some scrub from Philly
Terrance Stansbury
'Nique
Larry Nance
Dr. Dunkenstein

The small photo of MJ is from the same dunk contest.

[otismalibu]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

f

irst photo is the '84 all star game. not sure what the second photo is from.

That's the 85 AS game (84-85 season), MJ's first.

I think that 2nd pic is also from that same dunk contest. I had an old Wilson poster that featured that same pic, but a wider shot.

[kingjammy24]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

However, there are 2 versions of the Air Jordan I. One black and red, one black, red and white.

don't forget these:

So, is the Grey Flannel Jordan from the preseason or regular season?

we know for a fact that jordan played in his first home and first road games with properly-fonted jerseys. i'm assuming GFC's "first jersey" assertion is based on the fact that it has a name/number change. seems to me that would've most likely occurred in the preseason. again, jordan entered the 1984-85 regular season with properly-fonted jerseys. what would've been the need, later the season, to cobble together an incorrect jersey for him?

..but it does match to the thin numeral font.

but where's that pic from? sure would be nice to know. its a very unique jersey due to that font and i have scoured tons of images and video from the 1984-85 season and every single image and video i've seen has shown jordan wearing properly-fonted jerseys. it's almost as if that jersey made an appearance in the preseason and never again.

Does anyone have photos of Jordan wearing the black and red only Jordan I in game-play?

first photo is the '84 all star game. not sure what the second photo is from.



rudy.

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

Find out when that Letterman appearance was, where MJ & Dave were talking about the shoes that he wasn't allowed to wear.

I won't post Dave's punchline.

Already searched youtube...it ain't there. That has to be scripted. I don't think even Letterman is that clever off-the-cuff.

[otismalibu]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

I guess the NBA ruled against the black and red only versions in the preseason.

Find out when that Letterman appearance was, where MJ & Dave were talking about the shoes that he wasn't allowed to wear.

I won't post Dave's punchline.

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

warren, from sports illustrated:

"..Jordan wore a pair of the black-background, red-swooshed Nikes during the preseason"

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1122919/4/index.htm

apparently the first regular season game that jordan wore the air jordan I's was on november 17, 1984 vs philadelphia. the 11th total game of jordan's career.

in 1984-85, how many preseason games did the bulls play? were they all on the road? did jordan wear the home uni in any of them? i'm curious how you know that jordan didn't wear the AJ1's in the preseason?

rudy.

I stand corrected. My 25-year-old memory is sketchy.
However, there are 2 versions of the Air Jordan I. One black and red, one black, red and white.
Jordan did wear those red and white Nikes (in Grey Flannel photo...NOT Air Jordans) in some preseason games and in a few of the first few regular season games. I guess the NBA ruled against the black and red only versions in the preseason. My memory is vague.

So, is the Grey Flannel Jordan from the preseason or regular season? It is not from his very first regular season game, but it does match to the thin numeral font.
Does anyone have photos of Jordan wearing the black and red only Jordan I in game-play?

[kingjammy24]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

warren, from sports illustrated:

"..Jordan wore a pair of the black-background, red-swooshed Nikes during the preseason"

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1122919/4/index.htm

apparently the first regular season game that jordan wore the air jordan I's was on november 17, 1984 vs philadelphia. the 11th total game of jordan's career.

in 1984-85, how many preseason games did the bulls play? were they all on the road? did jordan wear the home uni in any of them? i'm curious how you know that jordan didn't wear the AJ1's in the preseason?

rudy.

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

nba.com is wrong. In the pre-season, he wore the red and white version as seen in Grey Flannel's style-match. He also wore the red and white version in the first few regular season games of the 84-85 season.

[kingjammy24]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

GFC: "In the photo match that accompanies this jersey, MJ is wearing white Nike sneakers which he only wore early in his rookie year. He later switched to his patented red and black Air Jordan Nike’s that season."

NBA.com:
"Jordan's personal style was equally authentic and unique as his basketball skills. Nike signed him to a major shoe deal because of his anticipated appeal, but he surpassed even the loftiest of expectations.One version of the sneakers he wore in his first preseason was an unseen before blend of his team's red and black colors that the NBA initially considered in violation of the "uniformity of uniform rule." Subject to fines if he continued to wear them, he occasionally did and the demand for that version and others in the Air Jordan line was unprecedented."
http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_bio.html

rudy.

[kingjammy24]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

I was thinking more about this "first" thing....wouldn't the picture of Jordan holding up the Bulls jersey at a press conference be considered his "first" issued jersey?

the idea of a "first" is interesting because it's somewhat subjective. for me personally, a player's "first" jersey is the one they wore in their first regular season game. as i discussed with another forum member, if you went to the NBA HOF and they had the ball from jordan's "first 3 pointer" or "first game" would the ball be from the preseason or regular season?
noone ever refers to any firsts or lasts from preseason play.

anyway, GFC stated it was the "first jersey issued to jordan", as opposed to worn by him. i don't even understand the statement or how it could be made. how could anyone but jordan and the equipment manager surmise the order in which jordan physically received his jerseys? isn't it likely that jordan was issued several jerseys at once? was he really issued one jersey at a time and on different days? how is GFC saying that he was issued this one before his others? perhaps they mean "worn". in the case of the press conference home jersey, it probably is the first bulls jersey made for/handed to jordan, even prior to any practice jerseys. maybe it's even the same jersey he wore in his first regular season game. if it were the same shirt, then that shirt would truly, in every single sense, be the first shirt jordan was issued AND wore.

i'm not sure how conclusive hallum's comment can be given that PR directors typically aren't involved in the everyday details of equipment management such as what jerseys a certain player was issued and when exactly they were issued them.

rudy.

[lund6771]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

Rudy..

I was thinking more about this "first" thing....wouldn't the picture of Jordan holding up the Bulls jersey at a press conference be considered his "first" issued jersey?

also the GFC description seems pretty vague to me...I like concrete details about jerseys before I decide to bid on them....how many times Jordan won MVP doesn't make the jersey anymore real to me

if I was interested in this jersey I'd sure like to know what the circumstances were with the Sotheby auction....Sotheby's provided the same apparent "style match" photo at that time as well...so whats the deal?...I would contact David Kohler to see if he could shed some light

[sox83cubs84]

Re: GFC: 1984 Michael Jordan's "first" jersey

dave

how's this:



the photo shows #53 for the bulls, mark olberding. he's the tall, bearded fellow. olberding only played one season for the bulls - 1982/83. in 1981/82 he played for for the spurs. check out the guy behind olberding wearing #2-something.

rudy.

Works for me...the Bulls must've been transitioning that season.

Dave M.
Chicago area