Michael Jordan Still Haunts Jazz Fans Having Their Air Jordan Jerseys Pulled Off

Michael Jordan Still Haunts Jazz Fans Having Their Air Jordan Jerseys Pulled Off

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Perhaps no NBA team is more scarred by the Michael Jordan era than the Utah Jazz. Those scars may not have fully healed yet for some fans, who recently sparked a social media protest against Jazz merchandise.

Of course, many other teams suffered from Jordan’s dominance. In 1996, the Seattle SuperSonics nearly broke through, but managed two short-lived wins in the NBA Finals. The Orlando Magic were denied a title in their iteration of the Shaquille O’Neal era. Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns came close but never won.

From 1991 to 1998, the only team other than the Bulls to win a championship was the Houston Rockets, who won two straight in 1994 and 1995 when Jordan took a brief hiatus from baseball.

But the Jazz may be the team that can endure the pain the most.

The Jazz entered the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons from 1984 to 1996, finally breaking through and reaching the Finals in 1997. Led by the star duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone, the Jazz made two consecutive Finals appearances, but both times, Jordan and the Bulls deprived the team of its first title.

The Jazz never achieved a similar level of success after that, with the exception of a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2007 (eventually against Tim Duncan and the Spurs), which they never made despite fielding several quality teams. Pass the second round.

Michael Jordan and Karl Malone
Chicago, USA: Michael Jordan (left) of the Chicago Bulls smiles as Karl Jordan of the Utah Jazz stands during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on June 7, 1998. Next to Malone. The Bulls won the game and the series, but Jazz fans are still smarting from the loss.
Jeff Haynes/AFP/Getty Images

So perhaps Jazz fans can be forgiven for being less than enthusiastic about the design of this Air Jordan T-shirt, which the Jazz made available at their team store earlier this week. An X (formerly Twitter) user spotted the design and sent out a tweet that went viral among the fan base.

Of course, the implication of this tweet is that Jordan is surpassing the Jazz, a feeling that Jazz fans of a certain age probably remember all too well.

The design itself isn’t meant to appeal to jazz fans. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the jersey is a league-wide design. The NBA has expanded its partnership with Air Jordan ahead of the 2020-21 season to include statement edition jerseys featuring the iconic logo.

Still, Jazz fans weren’t thrilled and took to social media to express their displeasure.

A team spokesman confirmed that fan outrage led to the jersey being removed from stores, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The Jazz will reveal their regular season roster against the Kings on October 25, and the team store may be cleared of offensive merchandise.