For NBA players, the next best thing to having a signature sneaker is being able to wear a personalized Air Jordan. Since Jordan exclusives were introduced about 20 years ago, players of all tiers have been fortunate enough to receive custom pairs — most of them signed to the Jordan Brand. A handful of affiliates and extended family members have also been blessed, some more obvious than others. Below are the 10 most surprising instances of athletes having Air Jordan Player Exclusives.
10. Toni Kukoc
It shouldn't be surprising that one of MJ's former teammates had PEs, but Kukoc didn't receive these two pairs until he retired as a Milwaukee Buck in 2006.
9. Hubert Davis
Hubert Davis began his career as a New York Knick and was never much more than an adequate role player. But he was also a North Carolina Tar Heel, which surely helped him land these Knicks-inspired exclusives in 1995.
8. Shawn Marion
It's no surprise that Jordan Brand would have interest in a player with a Pippen-like skillset. Matrix on Team Jordan never happened, but here's a look at what Suns colorway Air Jordans could have looked like.
7. Michael Vick
via Phase2 Blogs
Arguably the most electric athlete to ever step on a football field, Michael Vick would have been the perfect addition to Jordan Brand in his heyday. He even played in the Air Jordan 17 throughout the 2002 season. However, the mobile quarterback landed his own Nike signature line that successfully ran through 2007. After battling his way back into the league after a prison sentence, Vick was sent this Air Jordan 3 PE to wear in the 2010 Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, he didn't make the cut, but it was a glimpse at what could have been.
6. Allan Houston
One of the least seen original Air Jordan 10 PEs belonged to former All-Star sharpshooter Allan Houston. The shoe pre-dates Houston's stint with the Knicks, so this is likely a Pistons colorway.
5. Ronaldinho
When Michael Jordan met Ronaldinho in 2006, he presented him with his very own Air Jordan XX1 PE. About the shoes, the Brazilian soccer star said, "I don't know if I'll ever put them on or keep them as a trophy. However, I will remember this forever."
4. Dwight Howard
Before he turned pro and began an 11-year (and running) partnership with adidas, Dwight Howard was given a pair of Air Jordan XIX SE PEs for one of high school basketball's biggest showcases — the Jordan Brand classic.
3. Penny Hardaway
Prior to their on-court rivalry, Michael Jordan saw potential in Penny Hardaway. While away on a baseball hiatus, he tapped Hardaway as one of the players that wore the Air Jordan 9 during the 1993-94 season.
2. Shaquille O'Neal
When Shaq and Kobe ruled the court in the early 2000s, Jordan Brand considered making the Lakers tandem the centerpiece of its roster of athletes. Neither ended up signing, but they did leave the table with some pretty amazing Player Exclusives. For Shaq, there were 'Home' and 'Away' Laker-inspired Air Jordan 9s in size 22 with his number '34' embroidered on the heels.
1. LeBron James
LeBron James was the most highly touted high school athlete of our time, and unsurprisingly was courted by sneaker companies before he even turned 18. Among the potential suitors was Jordan Brand, who treated the young phenom to a 'SVSM' Air Jordan 9 PE while he was still in school. There's a good chance the gesture was breaking some kind of rule, but sneakers were pretty low on the list of controversial 'perks' at the time.