What Michael Jordan did in the Flu Game will forever be remembered by fans of sports, basketball and the Bulls. What he wore on his feet will forever be remembered by sneakerheads. The Air Jordan 12 Black/Red all but owns the “Flu Game” nickname, forever tied to his gutsy performance.
This inline colorway originally launched in 1997, getting regular wear from MJ right before the 1997 Playoffs, remaining in rotation throughout the duration of the postseason. Compared to the average Jordan drop, it got relatively little wear, splitting time with the “Playoff” 12s on the road to Money’s 5th title. The wear it got was big on importance, though, lacing MJ in a string of great games, with none more important than the Flu Game.
Just this last winter, the original pair worn in the Flu Game recently sold for $104,765 at Grey Flannel Auctions. This incredibly rare piece of sneaker and basketball history was given to former Utah Jazz ball boy Preston Truman by Michael Jordan himself as a gift after the game. The shoes served as a thank you gesture to Preston for hooking Mike up with his favorite pregame snack, crackers and applesauce, prior to the Game 5 win. Outside of the Air Jordan 3s worn by MJ in the ’88 Dunk Contest or the actual “Last Shot” 14s, it’s hard to fathom a single pair of sneakers more iconic than this.
