This Day In SNEAKRS

Michael Jordan had many memorable NBA All-Star Game appearances, from starting as a rookie in 1985 up until his last game in 2003. Beginning in 1988, when he memorably dropped 40 points during the NBA All-Star Game, MJ started to debut the black versions of his latest Air Jordans. On 10 February 1991, in his home state of North Carolina, this meant that the NBA All-Star Game was the first time that anyone saw him play in the Air Jordan VI 'Infrared'.

By then, MJ was a five-time NBA All-Star. By the end of his career, he'd be a 14-time NBA All-Star and earn three NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards. Being on his home turf in '91 was special, not just because the AJ VI's black and Infrared colour combination turned heads, but because MJ led all scorers with 26 points to eventually help beat the West.

Though MJ didn't win NBA All-Star MVP that year, it became a career-defining season, nonetheless. Wearing the Air Jordan VI 'Infrared', he made those seemingly miraculous jump shots and won his first of six titles. The Air Jordan VI silhouette and its sports-car-inspired design already communicated speed. The black/Infrared colour combo stood out amongst the mainly white shoes on-court, and in a way, reinforced MJ's unique presence and skill.

In the years MJ played and since, the Air Jordan VI 'Infrared' has been released in several different versions. In 2019, the OG version will be available again for the first time since '91, and appropriately, during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina—where it all started.