Jordan Brand's "International Flight" collection will conclude next Saturday, September 8 with the release of a special edition Air Jordan 12. The kicks, like the "International Flight" Air Jordan 3 and the "International Flight" Air Jordan 5, are inspired by a memorable exhibition game that Michael Jordan played in years ago.
The summer after Jordan’s 72-10 championship season in 1996, Jordan and other NBA stars went to Tokyo, Japan for a basketball clinic. In front of 32,000 fans, players like MJ and Michael Finley showed off by playing 1-on-1, 4-on-4 and even having a little friendly competition with some of Japan’s famous sumo wrestlers.
“We did a little scrimmage against some local guys and a couple of the sumo wrestlers who probably had never touched a basketball in their lives,” recalls Finley, according to AirJordan.com. “He had fun with them and joked around, but at the end of the day he told us, ‘Yo, we’re not losing this game.’ He said, ‘I don’t lose. Whether it’s for charity, scrimmage, or in the season, I don’t lose.’”
The special edition "International Flight" Air Jordan 12s feature a navy suede, complete with an embossed, kimono-inspired print on the upper, as well as a koi fish scale print on the mudguard. Additionally, Japanese characters which translate to "Air Jordan" are stamped on the heel.
The kicks are slated to launch alongside a special edition jersey on Saturday, September 8 for the retail price of $190.