1996 Nike Air Jordan XI 'Playoff' Player Sample | Size 13

Michael Jordan’s name has become synonymous with greatness. The NBA legend’s unprecedented success as an athlete is well-documented and may never be replicated – 6 NBA championships, 6 Finals MVPs, 5 league MVPs, and 2 Olympic Gold Medals are just a few of Jordan’s on-court accomplishments. Many consider Jordan to be the greatest athlete who ever lived.

Offered in this lot is a Player Sample of the 1996 Air Jordan 11 Playoff ‘Bred’ Colorway. The sneakers are in unworn condition, and feature ‘FTPS’ coding on the interior size tag. 

The sneakers are accompanied by a letter of provenance from Patrick Ready. Ready received the sneakers while working at Nike in the 1990s.

The 1995-1996 Season 

After the first three-peat, Michal Jordan retired from basketball to pursue a career in professional baseball. When the MLB players went on strike in 1994, Jordan refused to cross the picket line, ultimately returning to the Bulls in March of 1995. In the 1995-96 season – Jordan’s first full NBA season since 1992-93 – Jordan and the Bulls won a then-NBA record 72 games, cementing their legacy as one of the league’s greatest teams. 

In the postseason, Jordan and the Bulls cruised through the 1996 NBA Playoffs, only losing one game in the first three Playoff rounds. Returning to the NBA Finals for the fourth time in the decade, the Bulls would face off against Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, and the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals. 

The Bulls would go on to win the series in 6 games, capturing their 4th NBA title and the first of their soon-to-be second “Three-Peat”. Jordan would be named NBA Finals MVP for the fourth time, leading all scorers with 27.3 points per game. He also averaged 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in the series. 

The Bred 

Bred Air Jordans are a shorthand synonym for ‘Black and Red’ Air Jordan sneakers, a style Michael wore – featuring iconic Bulls colors – from the inception of the Jordan Brand (namely the Air Ship and the Air Jordan I) all the way until the Air Jordan XIII and XIV towards the end of his career with the Chicago Bulls. The first pair of Breds Jordan wore in the NBA were banned by the league, which imbued the colorway with a certain mythical nature to sneaker culture. The NBA would fine Michael $5,000 per game because the colors violated the league's strict uniform code. Nike capitalized on the opportunity and branded the Breds as rebellious sneakers, and while banned from the league, a Nike ad would explain “Fortunately, the NBA can’t stop you from wearing them.” The Bred would go on to take center stage in each of Michael’s postseasons, as the team opted to switch to predominantly black sneakers for the Playoffs.