Sports rivalries apparently don’t die. At least that’s what some Utah Jazz fans seem to feel after online outrage over a Jumpman T-shirt featuring Michael Jordan’s iconic logo emblazoned over the team name has caused the merchandise to no longer be sold, according to Cinema Blend.
Fire whoever allowed this design. pic.twitter.com/do05OVagtd
— Laird (@lairddoman) October 15, 2023
On Oct. 14, an X user posted a photo of the T-shirt being sold at the Utah arena to the platform, causing a firestorm of comments from Jazz and sports fans alike. Over 1.2 million viewers saw the post before the team confirmed that the shirt had been removed from the Delta Center merchandise store, the outlet reported. The long-standing beef between fans of the Utah Jazz and Michael Jordan began in the ’90s, when the Chicago Bulls routinely faced off against the team in the NBA Finals, winning every meeting.
With Karl Malone and John Stockton leading the way, the Utah Jazz were a force in the Western Conference; however, the dominance of Jordan and the Bulls in the East prevented them from taking home the Larry O’Brien Trophy on two separate occasions.
Apparently the pain still runs deep.
“This is a pretty depressing option,” one X user said. “Is there ever going to be a point where he stops beating us?” another commented.
While Jazz fans found the shirt offensive, fans of both Jordan and the Bulls found the merchandise to be ironically fitting.
‘”It looks historically accurate,” one comment read. “The one guy and the team that squashed back-to-back Finals for the Jazz. Too Good. #GoBulls,” said another.
The Utah Jazz have struggled to reclaim their glory days in the years since their last Finals appearance; however, they do have a winner in their front office, as Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade now owns a minority stake in the team.
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