The Air Jordan line nearly ended after the second shoe. Nike was considering discontinuing the partnership with Jordan until Tinker Hatfield — the architect who had previously designed the Nike Air Max 1 — stepped in and redesigned the line for the third model. The Air Jordan III was the result. It introduced visible Air cushioning, elephant print detailing, and most significantly, the Jumpman logo — the silhouette of Jordan mid-flight that became one of the most recognizable symbols in the history of sports marketing.

This photograph documents Jordan wearing the AJ3 in game — the first season the shoe existed. PSA noted it directly on the authentication label: "W/ Air Jordan III." That specific callout is unusual and significant. It confirms that the footwear visible in this print is authenticated alongside the photograph itself.

Reggie Lewis' presence in this photograph adds a layer of historical weight that cannot be manufactured. Lewis died suddenly of cardiac arrest in July 1993 at the age of 27 — in the prime of what was becoming a remarkable career. Photographs of him alongside Jordan, in game action, from this era are extraordinarily rare. This is one of them. The photograph captures two athletes who existed in the same moment — one of whom the world would lose far too soon.