You’ve seen them a thousand times. That silhouette of a man suspended in mid-air against a stark background. The grainy shot of a guy in a red jersey pumping his fists after a buzzer-beater in Cleveland. Pictures of jordan the basketball player aren't just sports photography; they are the visual shorthand for excellence in the modern age.
But here’s the thing. Most people looking at these photos don't realize how much luck, weird planning, and sheer "MJ-ness" went into making them. It wasn't just a guy with a camera clicking a button. It was a whole production, sometimes involving secret signals and painted basketball courts.
The Secret Signal Behind the 1988 Dunk
Take the most famous dunk photo ever. You know the one—Michael Jordan soaring from the free-throw line in the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest. His legs are tucked, his arm is cocked back, and it looks like he’s literally walking on air.
Walter Iooss Jr., the legendary Sports Illustrated photographer, is the man who captured it. But he didn't just "get lucky."
Three hours before the contest started, Iooss sat with Jordan in the stands. He told Michael, "I need to know which way you’re going so I can see your face." Jordan, being the ultimate professional (and maybe a bit of a showman), agreed to a secret signal. He told Iooss he’d put his index finger on his knee to point which direction he’d be driving.
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When the time came, Jordan looked over at the bench, pointed his finger, and Iooss moved. That’s why we see his face and not just the back of a jersey. Without that 10-second conversation, one of the most iconic pictures of jordan the basketball player might have just been a shot of his shoulder blades.
The "Jumpman" Wasn't Even a Dunk
This is the one that trips everyone up. The "Jumpman" logo—the most profitable silhouette in the history of footwear—wasn't even a real basketball play.
It was a staged photo shoot for Life magazine in 1984. Jordan was still at UNC, wearing New Balance sneakers (yeah, seriously) and a Team USA jersey. He wasn't dunking. He was performing a ballet move called a grand jeté.
He basically stood still and jumped straight up, spreading his legs out. It’s a pose that’s actually impossible to do while driving to the hoop with a live ball. Nike later had him recreate the pose in Chicago—this time in the black and red Bulls gear—and that second version became the logo. If you look at the original Co Rentmeester photo, the form is different, but the gravity-defying vibe is exactly the same.
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Why "The Shot" Looks So Different in Every Frame
When Jordan hit that jumper over Craig Ehlo in 1989, it felt like the world stopped. If you look at various pictures of jordan the basketball player from that specific second, the perspectives are wild.
- In the wide shots, you see the entire Cleveland bench literally collapsing in despair.
- In the tight crops, you see Jordan’s fist-pump—a move he did while he was still three feet off the ground.
- The "Ehlo Photo" is often cropped to show only the two of them, making it look like a private duel rather than a playoff game.
Honestly, the sheer hang time is what makes those photos work. Most players are on their way down by the time they release the ball. Jordan was often still rising or "leveling off" at the peak of his jump. Photographers from that era talk about how they had to retrain their brains; they’d usually click the shutter when a player jumped, but with Michael, you had to wait a beat. If you shot too early, you missed the peak.
The Flu Game and the Exhaustion Photos
By 1997, the "flying" photos started to give way to "human" photos. The "Flu Game" (or food poisoning game, depending on who you believe) gave us some of the most visceral images in sports history.
There’s a specific shot of Scottie Pippen literally hauling a depleted Jordan toward the bench. It’s gritty. It’s sweaty. It’s the opposite of the polished "Jumpman" image.
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What’s interesting is how these photos changed the narrative. Before Utah, Jordan was a god. After those photos circulated, he was a guy who was hurting but refused to quit. It added a layer of "grit" to the "grace" that had defined him for a decade.
The Rarity of the Off-Court Shots
In the early 90s, Walter Iooss Jr. got unprecedented access for a book called Rare Air. This is where we get the shots of Michael in his car, or Michael getting his hair cut (which he did twice a week, every Monday and Thursday, if you're keeping track).
One of the weirdest setups involved mirrors. Iooss wanted to capture the "endless reflection" of the most famous man on earth. They set up massive four-by-eight-foot mirrors on a platform outside Chicago. The result is a surreal, trippy image of dozens of Michaels stretching into the horizon. It’s a peek into how the world saw him—ubiquitous, everywhere, yet somehow untouchable.
Getting the Most Out of Your MJ Memorabilia
If you’re looking to collect or even just appreciate these images, you have to know what you’re looking at. "Type 1" photos—which are original prints made from the original negative within two years of the image being taken—can sell for thousands.
- Check the Stamp: Look for the photographer's stamp (like Walter Iooss or Nathaniel Butler) on the back.
- Verify the Event: Many "iconic" shots are actually from practices or promotional shoots, not games.
- Condition Matters: Since many of these were newsroom "wire photos," they often have crop marks or grease pencil notes on them. To collectors, that actually adds "story" to the piece.
Basically, the best way to enjoy pictures of jordan the basketball player is to look past the athlete and see the art. These weren't just snapshots. They were collaborations between a man who could fly and the few people on earth who knew how to freeze time.
To start your own collection or deep-dive into the archives, look for "Type 1" editorial prints on reputable auction sites like Heritage or Goldin, rather than just buying mass-produced posters. Authenticity in the paper and the ink is where the real history lives.