Michael Jordan Worn & Signed 1992 Olympic ‘Dream Team’ Air Jordan VII Sneakers

The Collection of Brian McIntyre, Former NBA Public Relations Executive

Michael Jordan wore these Air Jordan VII sneakers in Barcelona while he was part of the 1992 Olympic ‘Dream Team.'

As the face of what many consider the greatest sports team ever assembled, Jordan led the USA to the Gold Medal after easily dispatching all eight opponents. 

Beyond capturing the Gold, the Dream Team’s performance in Barcelona – headlined by Jordan – propelled basketball and the NBA to an unprecedented level of popularity around the world. The global impact of The Dream Team is still very much felt to the present day. 

A letter of provenance from former NBA Public Relations executive, Brian McIntyre, accompanies the sneakers.

This lot is also accompanied by a letter from James Spence Authentication in regards to the signatures.

Going Deeper | The Dream Team

Chuck Daly, the coach of the 1992 Dream Team famously said, “It was like Elvis and the Beatles put together. Traveling with the Dream Team was like traveling with 12 rock stars. That's all I can compare it to.” 

In 1992, for the first time, professional athletes from the NBA were allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. After America’s 3rd place finish in the 1988 (Cold War era) Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea and the Soviet Union’s Gold Medal performance, the USA rallied perhaps the most remarkable assemblage of teammates to ever play together – in any sport. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, and Scottie Pippen were just some of the names that played for Team USA in 1992. 11 of the athletes that played for the ‘Dream Team’ were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 

The Dream Team was dominant, with a perfect 8 wins and 0 losses in its 1992 Olympic effort. Today, ‘The Dream Team’ and Michael Jordan specifically, are credited with increasing the cultural significance, prevalence and popularity of basketball on an international stage.  

In The Last Dance, ESPN reporter Michael Wilbon explained, “Michael was the face of the Dream Team, and The Dream Team changed everything about international basketball. The Dream Team is entirely responsible for the NBA’s profile taking a massive jump forward. It just shaped how the world felt about the NBA.”

Willow Bay, Host of NBA Inside Stuff, added, “After the Olympics, Michael was the most recognizable, the most popular sports figure, but really cultural figure, in the world. He was really a global superstar. Everyone around the world knew Michael Jordan.”

Michael Jordan & Nike

In 1984, Nike gave Michael Jordan his own signature line of shoes and clothes, which was pivotal in Michael agreeing to sign with Nike. It was the first time the brand did anything like this, and it paved the way for many of the player collaborations we now see. The value of that partnership has increased exponentially over time, with 1985 sales reaching over $100M, and 2022 sales for the Jordan Brand reaching $5.1 Billion.