Do The Mike Thing

Hans DC

To be honest with you, I have never been a huge basketball fan. Not that I don't like it, but there were other activities that were more attractive and accessible to me when I was growing up. The fact that there was little or no NBA coverage in Malaysia didn't help either.

All that said, I love Michael Jordan. I mean, who doesn't.

But my love for him didn't come from exposure of his on court skills. It came from his shoes. As a kid, I had always heard about Michael Jordan from mates who were into basketball or who had come back from overseas with magazines and videos of NBA games. Even back in the day, people all over the world spoke highly of MJ. It wasn't until I saw the Jordan 1 for the first time that I fell in love with the shoes. After that, it was the Bones Brigade video that got me excited all over again. Those who know 'The Search For Animal Chin' will know what I'm talking about. There is an amazing ramp scene where at least 2 or 3 of the 6 skaters clearly had Jordan 1's on.

Forward a few years and it was the Jordan IV and V that caught my attention again. Some of the older boys in the neighbourhood had these black IV's and at that time I thought they were the coolest most futuristic shoes I'd ever seen. Still too young to spend that kind of money on shoes, I had to wait another few years and go though the punishment watching the V's and VI's come and go. My saving grace was a pair of hand-me-down IV's, which I loved literally till the soles fell off.

One of my fondest memories would be travelling with the boys from KL to Singapore by train. The trip itself was about 11 hours back then and we would leave late at night and arrive in Singapore in the morning. We would hit the sneaker and skate stores and catch the train back that night. Singapore had always had better shops in every way compared to Malaysia and because it was a tax free port, stuff was always cheaper as well. I remember buying with my own money for the first time e" a pair of Jordan 8's in the black and aqua. I washed my parents cars every week for chump change for 6 months or so to afford this.

Since then, I have taken the time to learn more about MJ. My love and respect for him as an athlete has grown ever since. He might not be on the courts anymore, but he has sure made a massive impact on this planet and its people. I am the perfect example of how you don't have to be a baller to love Michael Jordan.