As NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles quickly approaches, Jordan Brand hosted the Future of Flight event at the CBS Studios to unveil All-Star Game jerseys, several highly-anticipated sneakers, such as an Air Jordan III based off Tinker Hatfield’s original sketch, and a groundbreaking women’s line.
Pioneered and designed under the namesake of Michael Jordan, widely regarded as one of the best players to ever grace the hardwood, the Jordan brand used the exclusive event to further demonstrate their dedication to excellence.
NBA analyst Kenny Smith tipped things off with a Q&A, joined by famed director Spike Lee; fashion consultant Aleali May; author Shea Serrano; and musical artist Don C.
Beyond his storied career in Hollywood, Lee is of course renowned for his part as Mars Blackmon in Jordan ad campaigns. May is the second woman to collaborate with the brand, and Don C previously put his touch on a Jordan Retro 2 release.
“This coming All-Star Weekend in L.A. will be the 30th anniversary of the first commercial,” Lee said. “MJ is still doing it, the culture is still going, and Michael is the alpha. It started with him. It’s great to see now he’s the owner of a billion-dollar company.”
While superstars such as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James have their respective signature lines, no one — even outside the Nike family — can lay claim to the success Jordan has had with his brand.
This was how @Jumpman23 unveiled the #NBAAllStar jerseys to us earlier today. pic.twitter.com/K7W20ycXXn
— Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015) January 26, 2018
But rather than rest on the longevity, Jordan executives use that as fuel to remain ahead of the curve. “It’s pretty amazing,” Jordan Brand president Larry Miller said.
“I’ve been around this brand for a while, and when we started, we didn’t really know where we were. To see where the brand is today, is pretty amazing.” Miller was the head of all Jordan business from 1999-2006 and 2012-present.
“We try to remain ahead of the curve,” said Andrea Perez. She’s the vice president and general manager for women’s and kids, and it’s the former that has her and Jordan Brand excited for what’s ahead.
Perez traveled the world to speak with women and gain feedback and insight on their desires. What she found was they wanted the option of purchasing some men’s shoes in their sizes, plus a sense of exclusivity with women’s-only designs.
As such, a wide array of women’s shoes — both basketball and lifestyle — was born. While Perez couldn’t divulge details just yet, there are plans for his and hers sneakers.
While the crown jewel of the Future of Flight event was to officially unveil the All-Star Game jerseys, the breadth and attention to detail Jordan Brand gives to its signature shoe lines, sports lifestyle division, women’s, and all others.
The night included a visit from TNT’s Inside the NBA crew for a live filming of their pregame show, a pair of high school basketball games, one of which Shaquille O’Neal’s son, Shareef, hit a buzzer-beater.
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