AIR SHOW

A quarter century has passed since Michael Jordan won his last NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls, a quarter century since his tongue wagging dominance culminated in champagnedoused glory, and we’re still busy dissecting his legacy. In 2013, Wright Thompson’s masterly profile of Jordan as he turned 50 captured the human side of his uneasy transition into retirement. During the pandemic, The Last Dance, ESPN’s 10-part series about Jordan’s final championship season, burnished the legend yet again, inspiring an endless succession of memes about his ability to channel any perceived slight—an ambiguous quote, a public cold shoulder—into fuel for his competitive drive: “It became personal.” And earlier this year, , starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, gave cinematic play to the creation of the Air Jordan, the sneaker that helped launch his multibillion-dollar brand.