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With the “Wolf Grey” Nike Kyrie 1 hitting retailers this Saturday, the latest iteration of the Kyrie Irving signature provided the muse for our latest episode of Snkrs Day Throwback Thursday. With that in mind, venture with us as we tackle the history of the Air Jordan 11 “Cool Grey” in which we document a variety of intriguing storylines.
After the video, flip through the pages below to get a detailed account of the model in question.
Air Jordan 11
The Air Jordan 11 is iconic for a variety of reason as it is arguably the most talked-about Air Jordan within the signature series’ lineage. Releasing back during the 1995-96 season the Air Jordan 11 would help Michael and the Bulls achieve a historic win total of 72 victories to only 10 losses. Hitting retailers in a variety of hues, the two most notable models are the “Concord” and Black/Red silhouettes.
However, despite releasing in November of ’95, MJ would sport the Air Jordan 11 that previous spring during the 1995 NBA Playoffs.
Air Jordan 11 “Cool Grey”
Although the Air Jordan 11 “Cool Grey” was not an OG colorway during the initial release of the model, this color scheme has easily vaulted itself to being one of the more prominent Air Jordan makeups of all-time. Fusing together tonal hues of grey throughout the upper while resting atop of an icy outsole that employed herringbone traction patterning, the colorway saw a new palette for the AJ11.
Releasing back in 2001 and again in 2010, the Air Jordan 11 “Cool Grey” would inspire a bevy of grey Air Jordan iterations involving the like of the Air Jordan 3 and Air Jordan 9, respectively. In addition, several Nike Basketball staples would sport the color scheme as well. There is another release of the Cool Grey 11s in 2020.
MJ’s Last Appearance in MSG
During 2003, within Michael’s final season in the NBA, he would take on the New York Knicks for the final time at the elder age of 40. Rocking the Air Jordan 11 “Cool Grey” within the matchup, Michael would score 39 points in 43 minutes in a one-point loss to the Knickerbockers in MSG — a fitting performance to MJ’s final act at arguably the greatest arena on Earth.
Sneaker Violence Ascending
As mentioned previously, the Air Jordan 11 “Cool Grey” would hit retailers in retro form back in December of 2010. With the year prior to bringing upon the holiday release of the Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam,” consumers and sneakerheads alike were chomping at the bit to get their hands on the latest Air Jordan release. With that sudden desire, unfortunate sneaker violence would erupt and bring along the circumstances of “Mall Stampedes” throughout the United States.
Since then, sneaker companies have yet to find an adequate solution to stop the problem as sneaker violence has only escalated in recent years.
Notable Players in the Air Jordan 11 “Cool Grey”
Since the prior two retail releases, the Air Jordan 11 “Cool Grey” has been seen on a variety of athletes both on the court and off. Those notable players include the likes of Ray Allen, Quentin Richardson, Amir Johnson, Courtney Lee and J.R. Smith, who had this remarkable dunk in the model back in December of 2010 as a member of the Denver Nuggets, as seen in the video below.
However, the most noteworthy, or better yet the most “swaggy” player to sport this model on a regular basis is Nick Young of the Los Angeles Lakers. Earlier this season during a matchup against the Washington Wizards, Young would sport the ’01 release of the “Cool Greys” and ultimately the sole would come a-loose; subsequently providing a brilliant Kicks On Court moment.
