Playoff Debut: Second Round of the 1995 Eastern Conference Playoffs
The great Rosie Perez once articulated that “winning or losing is all one organic mechanism, from which one extracts what one needs.” Thus, not only are there wins in losses, or even lessons in ties, but success is not necessarily binary nor linear.
We’re not sure if Michael Jordan ever watched White Men Can’t Jump, but we’re pretty positive he was mad as hell when the Orlando Magic were partying on his comeback campaign. Ridiculed for his new number and rusty touch, the GOAT did what any rational hooper would do during an identity crisis or shooting slump: he got new shoes.
The Air Jordan 11—crafted in secret by Tinker Hatfield, poo-poo’d on by Nike execs, and even questioned by consumer focus groups—was never meant to happen, let alone be worn by MJ months before its eventual release. Never fond of fitting in, Jordan used Round 2 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Playoffs to show up Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway’s upstart squad and attempt to get his mojo back.
He lost. Orlando defeated Chicago 4-2, and the NBA fined MJ for wearing the “Concord” colorway that disobeyed David Stern’s postseason dress code. As we all know, the big bet on both himself and his brand paid off as MJ spent the summer sharpening his tools against pros, all while filming a $250 million blockbuster.
By October, the Air Jordan 11 was evaporating at retail, and the Bulls began running off a historic 72-10 season that started their second three-peat. The Air Jordan 11 is an institution on court, in culture, and in stores to this day, proving that success isn’t always instant or linear, and that the biggest wins can come from loss, just as Rosie revealed.
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