On this day in 1987, Michael Jordan proved he could walk on air.
The budding superstar was a participant in the slam dunk contest in Seattle and, among other superhuman spectacle dunks, won the trophy by dunking from the free-throw line.
- Of course we know that in Chicago, where almost everyone had that poster hanging in their room. But these photos in the Getty archives are pretty remarkable.
Jordan went on to win championships a few years later, but these photos captured the moment that he soared to superstardom.
- He won the contest again in 1988, in front of his hometown crowd at Chicago Stadium.
Go deeper
- Rebecca Falconer
Air Jordans sell for record $2.2M as sports memorabilia booms
A pair of Air Jordans worn by Michael Jordan became the world’s most expensive sneakers on Tuesday when they sold for $2.2 million at a Sotheby’s online auction.
Why it matters: Although the Air Jordan XIIIs that the legendary basketball player wore during the 1998 “Last Dance” NBA finals season didn’t fetch as much as some anticipated, it’s the latest example of such memorabilia reaching record prices as demand for nostalgic sports collectables surges.
