We would like to take a moment to wish Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, a happy birthday.

Its truly astonishing to be able to have witnessed true greatness on the basketball court. Yes, there were many NBA greats before him and there will be many more to follow… but when you think of the game of basketball (and even sneakers) the first thing that enters your mind is ‘Air Jordan’.

Not only was he a huge influence to many who share the love for the game, but he is also the reason many of us are here right now; checking sneaker blogs, camping out in front of retail stores come hell or high water, roaming eBay for our holy grail or just sitting on the couch watching NBA Gametime with that fresh new pair sitting on your lap enjoying the sweet victory of adding just one more pair to the lineup. From the moment they were ‘Banned’ to the second they first sold out, we do it all because of him.

Happy 48th MJ!

Share your stories of your most memorable MJ moment, whether its an on court memory or sneaker shopping adventure, let us know how influential the G.O.A.T. has been in your life.

Earlier today, we showcased Marcus Jordan’s Air Jordan II (2) Player Exclusive model. Michael’s youngest offspring hoops for Whitney Young High School in Chicago, Illinois and was apparently hit off with a white/team orange/powder blue pair of the Air Jordan IX (9) to match his squad’s uniforms. MJ’s number “5″ in blue is embossed out back underneath the “Jumpman Worldwide” logo. Via Flip Jays.

Michael Jordan’s youngest son, Marcus Jordan, is the heir to the Air Jordan fortune and was also the recipient of some extraordinary hardwood fundamentals. The Michigan St. Spartans recruit is enjoying his time as a guard at Whitney Young High School in Chicago, Illinois and has recieved several exclusive models to match his team’s navy blue/team orange/white color scheme. Pictured above is an unreleased pair of Air Jordan II (2), done up exclusively for the next MJ. The shoe’s predominantly white upper is accented beautifully by the navy blue midsole and orange heel rand. Via Flip Jays.

In a decision heard ’round the world, Michael Jordan retired from the game of basketball to pursue a career in baseball. His announcement came shortly after the passing of his father, who had always envisioned his son as a Big Leaguer. MJ batted .202 with 3 HR, 51 RBI, 30 stolen bases, and 11 errors in a largely underwhelming campaign that was forever enshrined in cinematic classic Space Jam. (Mike also had a stint with the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League.) Jordan sported the Tinker Hatfield-designed Jordan IX (9), his signature for the ’94-95 season in a cleated format. The shoe featured an all-black upper and was distinguished by Jordan’s number “45″ and a clever Jumpman “Globe” logo stitched along the heel. (Tinker crafted the IX in recognition of Jordan and the game of basketball’s newfound global influence.) Via NikeTalk’s American Dream.

Unfortunate perhaps, but a plethora of Jordan Brand products have shorter shelf lives than Lil’ Bow Wow. Everywhere you look, signature models are cracking and degrading at alarming rates–even MJ himself can’t escape the ol’ “yellow” funk on his Columbia XI (11) Mids that were recently acquired and posted digitally by Alaska shoe buff Phase2. (His momma calls him Jermaine.) The model has been creased, laced, and rocked by the King (Chill, LeBron) making it the dopest player sample product I’ve seen in a New York Minute. Who cares about the discolored soles, anyways? (I hear they build character.)  The model was produced to fit Jordan’s size 13.5 skis and was manufactured in Taiwan.  Only one question remains–how many underfed Taiwanese children were terrorized and bruatlized during the sneaker’s production process to ensure that Mike himself was terrorizing opponents on-court?