You’ve seen it. Even if you don’t follow basketball, you’ve seen it on a t-shirt, a cereal box, or a billboard looming over a highway. It’s that one picture of michael jordan dunking—the silhouette of a man suspended in mid-air, legs spread wide like a compass, gravity seemingly optional.
But here’s the thing: that photo isn't from a game. It wasn't even taken on a real basketball court.
The story of how Michael Jordan became a logo is actually a weird mix of ballet, a Dutch photographer, and a massive legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Most people think MJ just jumped and someone snapped a lucky shot during the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest.
Wrong.
The "Jumpman" wasn't a fluke. It was a carefully staged masterpiece that eventually turned a kid from Wilmington into a multi-billion dollar brand.
The Ballet Move That Created the Jumpman
Back in 1984, before Jordan was "His Airness," he was just a skinny rookie headed to the Olympics. A photographer named Co Rentmeester was doing a shoot for LIFE magazine at the University of North Carolina. He didn't want a standard "guy jumping at a hoop" shot.
Rentmeester actually had Jordan perform a grand jeté, a classical ballet leap.
Think about that. The most masculine, dominant figure in sports history is essentially doing a ballet move in his most famous photo. Jordan wasn't even wearing Nikes in the original shot; he was wearing New Balance sneakers.
He jumped straight up, legs split perfectly, and held a basketball in his left hand. Rentmeester used a Hasselblad camera with a powerful strobe light to "freeze" him against the sky. It was beautiful.
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Nike saw it and loved it. But they didn't want to pay Rentmeester forever.
So, they hired their own photographer to recreate the shot. They put Jordan in his Chicago Bulls gear, swapped the New Balance for the first Air Jordans, and had him do the ballet leap again. This second version—the one with the Chicago skyline (or a studio backdrop made to look like it)—is what Peter Moore turned into the silhouette we know today.
The Lawsuit Nobody Talks About
Rentmeester wasn't happy. Basically, he felt Nike ripped off his creative vision. He sued them decades later, in 2015, claiming copyright infringement.
He argued that he "made" the picture through his specific staging, lighting, and the "grand jeté" concept. Nike argued that you can’t copyright a "pose."
The courts eventually sided with Nike. They ruled that while the photos were similar, Nike’s version had enough "different expressions"—like the angle of the hand and the position of the feet—to be its own thing.
It was a huge moment for intellectual property law. It basically proved that in the world of iconic photography, the "idea" is free, but the "execution" is what you own.
1988: When the Photo Met Reality
If the staged photo created the brand, the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest created the legend. This is where the world got a real-life version of that picture of michael jordan dunking that actually happened in a game setting.
The Chicago Stadium was packed. Jordan was facing off against Dominique "The Human Highlight Film" Wilkins. It was the heavyweight fight of dunks.
Jordan needed a nearly perfect score on his final attempt to win.
He walked to the far end of the court. He started running. He hit the free-throw line, took off, and... he just didn't come down.
Walter Iooss Jr. and the "Pointing" Trick
The most famous photo of this moment—the one where Jordan is horizontal, tongue out, flying past the Gatorade sign—was taken by Walter Iooss Jr. for Sports Illustrated.
Iooss is a legend, but he had a secret weapon: he talked to Jordan beforehand.
A few hours before the contest, Iooss went up to Jordan and told him he needed to know which way he was going to jump so he could get the lighting right. Jordan basically said, "I'll point."
True to his word, when Jordan stood at the opposite baseline before the final dunk, he subtly pointed to the left side of the rim. Iooss moved his camera, focused, and captured the most "human" version of the flight.
Unlike the staged Jumpman logo, this photo showed the effort. You can see the sweat. You can see the intensity in his eyes. It’s the raw version of the corporate logo.
Why These Photos Still Matter in 2026
You might wonder why we’re still talking about some 40-year-old photos. Honestly, it’s because these images changed how athletes are sold to us.
Before Jordan, basketball cards were mostly just guys standing around or doing basic layups. Jordan’s photos turned the athlete into a superhero.
- The Silhouette: By turning a photo into a logo, Nike made it so you didn't even need to see Jordan’s face to know who it was.
- The Flight: These photos sold the "dream" that humans could fly, which sold a lot of $100+ shoes.
- The Narrative: Every time you see that 1988 photo, you aren't just seeing a dunk; you're seeing the moment a superstar "arrived" on the world stage.
How to Tell if a "Vintage" MJ Photo is Real
If you’re a collector looking for an original print or a high-quality poster of a picture of michael jordan dunking, you have to be careful. The market is flooded with AI-upscaled garbage and fakes.
Check the sneakers. In the 1988 free-throw line dunk, he’s wearing the Air Jordan 3 "White Cement." If the photo shows him in 4s or 1s, it’s a different game or a composite.
Look at the background fans. Genuine 1988 photos show a very specific era of Chicago fashion—lots of thick sweaters and 80s hairstyles. If the background looks blurry or "smooth," it’s likely a digital recreation.
Search for the photographer's credit. The big ones are Walter Iooss Jr., John Biever, and Co Rentmeester. If a seller can't name the photographer, it’s probably a cheap reprint.
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Authentic Steps for Collectors
If you want to own a piece of this history without getting scammed, do this:
- Look for "Type 1" Photos: These are original prints made from the original negative within two years of the photo being taken. They are the gold standard.
- Check Authentication: PSA or DNA authentication is a must for anything signed or "original."
- Study the Lighting: Real film photography from the 80s has a specific grain. Digital "remasters" often look too clean, losing the soul of the Chicago Stadium's lighting.
The Jumpman started as a ballet move on a grassy hill in North Carolina and ended up as a global icon. It’s the perfect example of how a single picture of michael jordan dunking can be worth a lot more than just a thousand words—it’s worth billions of dollars and a permanent spot in cultural history.
To build a collection or even just a mood board around this era, start by identifying the specific game dates. The 1987 and 1988 dunk contests are the peaks. Cross-reference the sneaker models with the year to ensure you aren't looking at a modern "retro" shoot disguised as a vintage classic.
Check for the "Gatorade" or "Scoreboard" branding in the background of 1988 shots. These are the markers of the real deal.