Its gotta be the shoes spouted Mars Blackmon in Nikes very first Air Jordan commercial released in 1988. That slogan sold a lot of sneakers and took Michael Jordans popularity to another level. The shoes Spike Lee was referring to were the Air Jordan IIIs considered the most popular Air Jordan pair in the series among sneakerheads. Back then MJ could have put up 40 wearing penny loafers. All his shoes really did was make him look better. Presented here is a pair of 1987-88 Michael Jordan game-worn Air Jordan III shoes courtesy of a Chicago Bulls ball boy. As far as individual honors 87-88 was MJs best season. He won his 2nd straight scoring title (averaging 35 points per game) his 2nd straight Slam Dunk Contest All-Star Game MVP Defensive Player of the Year and his first of five League MVP awards. And he did it all wearing the Air Jordan IIIthe rarest pair in the hobby behind the original Air Jordan I.

With legendary designer Tinker Hatfield at the helm Nike introduced a number of firsts with the iconic Air Jordan IIIs. The Jumpman logo on the tongue replaced the wings logo and became a staple in the Air Jordan series moving forward. The AJ III was the first ever mid cut basketball shoe and it featured a never-before-seen air pocket in the midsole which can be found in virtually every Nike athletic shoe today. Possibly the most notable change was the upgrade in materials. The upper was constructed of rich full-grain tumbled leather and was built to feel broken in allowing MJ to wear a brand new pair every game without worrying about stiffness or getting a blister. Hatfield also added a faux elephant skin print to the toe cap and heel.

The white gray and black colorway offered here is one of three versions Jordan wore during the 1987-88 season. That same weekend Jordan wore this same AJ III colorway style for his memorable dunk from the free throw line that earned a perfect score and locked up another Slam Dunk Title. The ball boy who procured these shoes worked the All-Star festivities at Chicago Stadium and can actually be seen (next to the late Jerome Kersey) in the iconic photo of MJ gliding over the key for that famous dunk. The ball boys name is Kerry Sullivan and he worked for the Bulls from the end of the 1986-87 season through the 1988-89 campaign. His father Bob Sullivan was the Bulls statistician during the 80s often sitting along the scorers table a few seats down from head coach Doug Collins. Together father and son had incredible access to the Bulls players. As Kerry tells it Jordan gifted him these shoes after a game (he cannot remember the exact date) during the 87-88 season. MJ had just finished wearing them and signed them for Kerry in the locker room.

Each shoe is properly labeled size "13" on the interior tag with "13BBMB66-871101-FT" coding MADE IN TAWAIN and PAT NOS. 4183156; 4340626 to ensure they were player-issued to Jordan. One fallback to the AJ III design was the polyurethane material used in the midsole. Susceptible to deterioration over time from exposure to UV and temperature extremes it is almost impossible to find a pair of AJ III gamers perfectly intact after 25+ years. However this may be the most well-preserved pair ever to surface. The level of cracking on the midsoles is minimal and there is no separation from the insoles or outsoles when lifted. In typical examples huge chunks of the midsole are missing and the shoes cannot be lifted without completely crumbing apart. In this case there is some light flaking near the air pockets and one punctured air bubble. A small top section of the rubber components on each upper heel has broken off; we have saved the pieces in a bag for restoration if necessary. Outsoles show evident heel drag and court use and the insoles show appropriate wear as well. Original laces remain intact. The leather shows stretching but remains in outstanding condition. These are a must-have for the basketball or shoe collector. Hard to imagine that a better pair of AJ III gamers with such impeccable provenance even exists.

Includes detailed Letter of Provenance from Kerry Sullivan former Bulls ball boy. It should be noted that PSA/DNA deemed the Jordan autograph to be secretarial in spite of the ball boys account that he witnessed the signing in person.