Even now, Michael Jordan is widely reviled in the Beehive State.
A team representative confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune that the Jazz will no longer sell the T-shirt that features the “Jumpman” silhouette of Michael Jordan.
A fan of the Utah Jazz uploaded a picture of a gray shirt with black “Utah Jazz” letters and a black “Jumpman” shape to X on Saturday.
In a tweet, @lairddoman demanded, “Fire whoever allowed this design.”
The Salt Lake Tribune pointed out that many other teams, including several who lost to Jordan during his heyday, wear Jordan-themed shirts, and that the Jazz’s black statement jersey features the “Jumpman” insignia.
Many Jazz fans, however, continued to vent their frustrations online, and the team apparently felt it could do without the bad attention.
“Reading the dreaded nba central comments about the shirt and their responses are ridiculous,” @lairddorman wrote. People that behave like it’s serious business should maybe tone it down a notch. We don’t need MJ to keep dunking on us. This is it; we’re done.
The animosity between Jordan and Jazz fans dates back to the late 1990s, when he snatched two consecutive championships away from John Stockton, Karl Malone, and Jerry Sloan.
The Jazz were the opponents in two of Jordan’s most memorable games.
The 1997 “Flu Game” saw Jordan score 38 points despite being sick with the illness to help the Bulls to a 90-88 victory in Utah and a 3-2 series lead.
The Bulls swept the Jazz at home in their next contest.
A year later, Jordan also provided a spectacular conclusion to the Finals.
Jordan had the top defender for the Jazz, Bryon Russell, on him, but he shook him off and made the game-winning shot with five seconds left. Some people believe Jordan was lucky not to get called for a foul on that play.
Since Jordan’s shot, the Jazz have only reached the conference finals once, in the 2006–07 season, and have never again reached the NBA Finals.