Can you imagine the change in trajectory as far as the sneaker world is concerned that would have been the result of Michael Jordan signing with adidas? It’s hard to imagine what would have happened, but let’s not forget that it was a possibility when the initial Nike/adidas bidding war began over MJ before he entered the league. Let us know in the comments where you think the Air Jordan line would be if that were the case, and then check out the full article from the good guys at Sneaker Freaker on this crazy “What If?” scenario.

Our vintage item today is a piece of Air Jordan history that goes beyond the realm of sneakers and apparel. The item is the original blueprint for the commemorative Michael Jordan statue that stands outside of the United Center in Chicago. Of course in the final piece he’s wearing a pair of the Air Jordan IX, but the blueprints here fail to portray that little detail (Perhaps the sneaker wasn’t out yet at the time of the sketching?). Continue reading to get an up close look at this piece of Michael Jordan history and check out the price from bailiwyck on eBay.

With the spectrum of original-colorway-bringbacks for the Air Jordan IV having just completed with the Air Jordan IV ‘Bred’ retro over the weekend, now seems like as good a time as any to take a look at the campaign for the sneakers back when they originally hit shelves. Pictured here is the original 1989 catalog for the Air Jordan IV, featuring both the ‘Bred’ and the ‘White/Cement’ colorway. Click through to check out this awesome historical piece in all its OG glory.

By the time the Air Jordan XXI rolled around there was already a rich history of MJ ad campaigns to draw on, one particular spot for that silhouette taking advantage of said history. The ad in question recreated a series of classic Michael Jordan moments, with every pose and movement mimicked. How good of a job did they do? One YouTube user took to the task of comparing that ad with the original, with the results shown after the jump. Click through to check out the Air Jordan XXI ad/original moves comparison.

Today marks the arrival of the Air Jordan IX ‘Johnny Kilroy’, a pair playing off an old ad campaign in which Michael Jordan’s retirement was purported by an inquisitive Steve Martin to be fake, with Kilroy being one of many alter egos. The date was one chosen by Jordan Brand for historical purposes, Michael Jordan having announced his first retirement on October 6th of 1993. It was a tough moment to watch, Michael appearing in a press conference alongside then Chicago Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf to announce that he was stepping away from the game of basketball after nine years with the Bulls. “It’s time for me to move away from the game of basketball” he explained, citing his lack of interest in the game after having already accomplished so much. Speculation ran rampant at the time regarding other possible motivations, the tragic murder of his father earlier in the year thought to have added to Mike’s decision.

In a move that left even more stunned he made the decision to pursue a career in baseball, signing a contract with Chicago White Sox affiliate the Birmingham Barons. That stint didn’t prove promising for Mike, who struggled on the diamond and of course eventually, thankfully, returned to the NBA and the Chicago Bulls to dominate once again. The retirement situation left the Air Jordan IX as an odd man out of sorts in terms of that first string of Tinker Hatfield designed Air Jordan’s, the shoe itself never laced up by Mike in an NBA game during its OG run. Click through with us to talk a walk down memory lane via the shocking press conference in which Michael Jordan announced his first retirement from the game and drop us a comment if you remember this day in basketball history.

Calvin Bailey is one of the more enigmatic of the Michael Jordan alter egos for the time being, playing the background while marquee name Johnny Kilroy flaunts his celebrity status on Twitter. Here’s what we do know about Calvin Bailey to date: he wore the 23 just like Michael Jordan and apparently played for a team out in Gary, Indiana. Click through for a full look at the Air Jordan IX ‘Calvin Bailey’ and stay tuned as the story unfolds.

The Air Jordan IX ‘Kilroy Pack’ is turning out to be one of the better Air Jordan release of all time in terms of the backstory, expanding that mythology into a full set of sneaks. Johnny Kilroy himself has become pretty active in the campaign, joining Twitter and now being fairly vocal about his whereabouts. Check out this teaser video for the campaign after the jump and make sure you’re following Johnny Kilroy on Twitter to get all the info.

If you had the opportunity to sit down with legendary sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield, what would you ask him? GQ got the opportunity recently, chopping it up with the man who made so many of the Michael Jordan models that you adore regarding design inspiration, ideas that never came to fruition, his work process, and more. Click through for some photos (check out the ‘Pantone’ collection decorating his office in the shot above) from the story and head over to GQ for the full piece.

As far as the Air Jordan legacy goes you can’t put too many folks higher up on the totem pole of importance than Phil Knight, Nike co-founder and chairman without whom that historic line of sneakers we all know and love would certainly not exist. Knight was recently inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor on September 7th, honoring his and Nike’s actions throughout the years that have pushed the sport to its current international level. Stay with us after the jump for the video of his induction speech and keep in mind that without Phil Knight there is no Air Jordan.

Do you know what shoes Michael Jordan was most into before he signed his Nike deal? Or which Air Jordan sneaker was the first to feature no Swoosh branding? If not then you’ve got a little bit of studying to do, with this Complex list of 23 things you may not know about Air Jordan’s being a good place to start. Click through to get a handful of them and let us know if you think your knowledge is already up to snuff.