“This one was in the works for a while. It wasn’t that much trouble for me to go ahead and do a couple of colorways, so I did one that was more white-based and one that was much more contrasted,” said Hatfield when asked about his 1992 designs. “Ultimately, I left it up to MJ.”

More than 20 summers later, the design that was once shelved now debuts in celebration of this summer’s global games.

Since his game-winning shot that brought championship glory to North Carolina, Michael Jordan has been at the forefront of basketball consciousness. He took the court in 1985 wearing the original Air Jordan I, simultaneously breaking league rules and his opponents' will while capturing the imagination of fans worldwide.