After unexpectedly retiring following the Chicago Bulls’ 1993 championship win, Michael Jordan announced his return to the league in the middle of the 1994-1995 season. The decision to resume playing in the NBA was a huge one. And the widely-regarded basketball GOAT wore the signature shoes of Andre Agassi in 1995.
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The Jordan Brand had grown into one of the biggest sneaker brands in the world. Despite having multiple signature shoes of his own brand, the 6ft 6” shooting guard decided to show up at the Chicago Bulls practice wearing Andre Agassi’s Air Challenge LWP.
It’s crazy that Michael Jordan made his return to the NBA in 1995 in the Air Challenge LWP, a sneaker that Andre Agassi made famous the same year by winning the Australian Open in. pic.twitter.com/ExH4Bnzh1Q
— Matthew Welty (@MatthewJWelty) May 11, 2020
Merely a couple of months before Jordan did, Agassi popularized the shoe by winning the Australian Open 1995 in.
According to Nike, the shoe was “perfect for Andre Agassi’s loud and aggressive game”. The Nike Air Challenge LWP was further described as:
Leaner, faster, more explosive. That’s how the Air Challenge LWP was originally described, making it perfect for Andre Agassi’s loud and aggressive game. LWP stands for Lightweight Performance, and the shoe derives from a line of Nike classics engineered for speed and precise power. Specifically, the shoe’s upper cutouts and Dynamic Fit tongue make it both breathable and snug, ideal for owning the court from end to end.
The Australian Open wasn’t the only tournament that Agassi was successful in 1995. In the same year, the American won the Sybase Open, the Miami Masters, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, the Canadian Open, the Thriftway ATP Championships, and the Volvo International New Haven.
Agassi also clinched the World No.1 ranking at one point in the year. However, with Pete Sampras winning two Grand Slams and several other titles, “The Punisher” finished the season as the #2 ranked player.
