My love affair with the Jordan shoes started when, as a 12-year-old die-hard Knicks fan, MJ and the Bulls came to MSG to play against my beloved Knicks. And cliché as it may sound now, he was a really a sight to behold.
I looked around me and noticed that, despite our deep hatred for him for punishing the Knicks, everyone who were there that night were in awe of his ability to take over and control the game. Oh, and not to mention those breathtaking aerial moves that only he can do
When Nike announced that Air Jordan shoes would be retailed nationally from March 1985, all I could think of then was that I had to have a pair! I told myself that I would do whatever it took to have a pair of them beauties. I told my parents about the shoe and my father’s response was nothing more than a shrug, and my mom just looked at me with a raised eyebrow. In desperation, I promised them that I would do everything they wanted me to do, just so they would consider giving their soon-to-be 13 yrs old son a pair of that very expensive - at that time - shoe.
For two agonizing months, all I could think of was the Air Jordan! My school mates - whose parents were more supportive and financially more capable than mine - who had a pair of them J’s were rocking them every day to school and all I could do was look at them in envy.
On the morning of my 13th birthday, my father woke me up for ‘subuh’ prayers and I distinctly remember that during my supplication, I asked the Benevolent Allah to grant my dad the wisdom and buy me the one thing (at that time) that I coveted the most. I also asked Him to make sure that - after giving my dad the wisdom - there would still be Air Jordan 1 left in the stores! I was so consumed with fear with the thought that they could have all been sold out.
Thankfully, my fears proved unjustified. Perhaps because I actually prayed for the sneakers and its availability, God smiled on me and there were still a few pairs available. And when I finally held a pair in my sweaty hands – a white and red high tops – I was so high with excitement that until today, 21 years and thousands of Air Jordans down the road, I vividly remember that day and the days leading to that - my first sweet and short moment of ownership!
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