Nicknamed “The Black Cat” by NBA opponents for his calculated on-court demeanor, Hall of Fame Chicago Bull Michael Jordan would pounce on opponents at the most opportune of times. Noted Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield who worked on many of the Air Jordan collection sneakers including the inaugural Air Jordan I’s in 1984, Hatfield was inspired by Jordan’s nickname and used the black panther as an inspiration for the Air Jordan XIII, released in 1997. The sneakers appear in the 1998 Spike Lee film “He Got Game” and were worn by the character Jesus, played by NBA Hall of Famer Ray Allen who starred alongside Denzel Washington in the film.

Presented here are a pair of Nike Air Jordan XIII game shoes from the stock of Michael Jordan from his final season where he and the Chicago Bulls achieved their second “three-peat” of championships in the 1990s.  The size 13 ½ sneakers feature a black, white, and true red colorway with a black leather toe box. The red, white, and black soles are in the shape of a panther’s paw and feature a “JUMPMAN” hologram in yellow on each sole. Circular holographs appear on the black suede heels and imitate a panther’s eyes when light is shone upon them in the dark.  The sneakers display no evidence of use and are from the original production run in 1997, with production codes (336630 Y3-136002 132 00) appearing on the tags sewn onto the tongue of each shoe. The Air Jordan XII sneakers come with an LOA from MEARS and are graded Authentic.

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