DimeLabs — 1988-89 Full Tongue Extension vs Hawks · AJ3

Why this photograph matters

There are photographs that document an athlete. And then there are photographs that capture a signature — the specific physical expression that makes one player immediately identifiable across five decades of imagery. The tongue is out. The arm is fully extended. The body is at maximum vertical. This is Michael Jordan at his most recognizable, in a single frame, from the season he won his third consecutive scoring title.

Moses Malone watches from the left — his name legible on the back of his jersey. Malone is one of the most dominant centers in NBA history, a man who won an MVP award and a championship in his own right. In this photograph, he is watching Jordan fly. The composition is natural, unscripted, and impossible to recreate.

The tongue. The vertical. The AJ3s. Moses Malone watching. This photograph checks every box collectors look for — and does it in color, in original format, from a photographer's personal archive in a season Jordan was arguably the best player on the planet.

— DimeLabs · 1988–89 Hawks AJ3 Type 1 · PSA Cert #85465366

DimeLabs holds two Type 1 photographs from this exact season by David Banks — the AJ3 Celtics print and this one. Two different opponents. Two different moments. Same photographer, same shoe, same Jordan. Together they document the 1988–89 season in a way that no card or licensed product ever could. These are the actual prints from the actual moments.