Michael Jordan Returned to the NBA 19 Years Ago Today

19 years ago today, Michael Jordan laced up a pair of the Air Jordan 10 “Chicago” after a 17 month hiatus from the game of basketball and faced off against the Indiana Pacers. Usually reserved for boos at number 23, Michael Jordan donned a number 45 to honor his late father and received a standing ovation against his Eastern Conference Rival. And even though he had a fairly poor shooting night (Mike made only 7 of his 28 attempts for 19 points) the two word press release leaked the day before reading “I’m back” was some of the best news the NBA and sporting world could have received.

Jordan Brand was in a strange purgatory stage with the man who made the Jumpman famous opting to hone his talents on the baseball diamond to pursue a childhood dream both he and his father shared. The Air Jordan 10 released its “Cities Pack” aimed at up and coming players signed to the Jordan Brand roster like Herald Miner, Kendall Gill, and Mitch Richmond to carry the brand into the near future. Each player received team colors of the silhouette with PE branding of their numbers, but it didn’t quite catch on. With Mike’s return, the Air Jordan 10 gave way to the Air Jordan 11, arguably one of the finest sneakers in his signature series and allowed Mike to lead the charge to having his own brand. What would’ve happened if he had never returned? Luckily we’ll never know as this date serves as a reminder of Mike’s incredible post-retirement run to return to glory and reclaim his spot as the game’s greatest player. Be sure to check out highlight videos of Mike’s first game back after his retirement and let us know your thoughts on his return in the comments.