JORDAN BRAND CT16
ART OF SNKRS
The game of basketball is an art, and so are the shoes that hit the hardwood each night. Designed for athletes like Michael Jordan and Kawhi Leonard, Jordan Brand shoes have helped players make history.
In celebration of this legacy and the NBA Playoffs, Nike, Converse, and Jordan are releasing the Art of a Champion collection — 16 shoes for the 16 total wins it takes to earn an NBA title. 16 artists have created original art pieces to commemorate each shoe and the players who have worn them.
Below, four artists explain the artworks they made for CT16 Jordan footwear.
PASS THE TORCH BY MARTIN GORDOPELOTA
AIR JORDAN I
A young Kawhi Leonard’s 29 points were crucial to the Spurs’ win in Game 3 of the 2014 NBA Finals (and eventual series victory). Martin Gordopelota’s painted tribute to Leonard and the Air Jordan 1 includes his Finals MVP trophy, a lock and key for his “lockdown” approach, and a neutral face for his stoicism. “The torch refers to the Spurs passing Kawhi the torch, as the new generation,” says Gordopelota. “The cactus represents San Antonio, and the claw references the size of his hands. The Spurs are definitely my team.”
LOCKED AND LOADED BY JONATHAN ZAWADA
AIR JORDAN XXVIII
In Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals, with 5.2 seconds left, Ray Allen hit a game-tying three that changed the course of the series and led to the Heat winning the Finals. Jonathan Zawada’s collage tribute to Allen and the Air Jordan XXVII includes a shot clock, an empty hourglass, Miami-themed colors, and sugar cubes for Allen’s nickname, “Sugar Ray.” “When you see what somebody like Ray Allen achieved and was capable of, it’s hard not to be inspired by that pure focus, diligence, and humility,” says Zawada.
ROOK TO QUEEN BY ANNY WANG AND TIM SÖDERSTRÖM
AIR JORDAN XI LOW
Only six months after being the first pick in the 2011 WNBA draft, Maya Moore was competing in the 2011 Finals. Her late-game three-point shot got the Lynx their first-ever championship. Anny Wang and Tim Söderström’s 3D tribute to Moore and the Air Jordan XI Low includes a receipt of her championships, a Queen chess piece, and her number, 23. “It’s jaw-dropping to look at Maya Moore’s catalog of achievements,” say Wang and Söderström. “We wanted the still life to represent Maya’s achievements not only in basketball but in terms of how she was a bright, 4.0 student, represented by the scholar roll.”
LAST SHOT BY MARK ULRIKSEN
AIR JORDAN XIV
Michael Jordan’s last shot as a Chicago Bull was also one of his most legendary. During Game 6 of the 1998 Finals, with 10 seconds left on the clock, Jordan made the now infamous 20-foot jumper wearing the Air Jordan XIV. Mark Ulriksen’s illustrated tribute to Jordan and the shoe include a goat (for MJ being the “greatest of all time”), six rings for the Bulls’ sixth championship, and Jordan’s luxury sports car (which inspired the XIV’s design). “Michael Jordan is the best, hands down,” says Ulriksen. “The greatest of all time won his sixth and final ring with that shot. What a way to go out.”