This upcoming Air Jordan 12 retro release is the cherry on top of summer ’21

If we’re talking iconic basketball moments, and the conversation turns to Allen Iverson, what’s the first on-court highlight you think of?

More than likely it’s “The Stepover,” and rightly so. It’s cemented in hoops history and is now a part of internet culture as a reaction gif used by folks on Twitter who might not have even been born when it happened.

There’s another killer moment that you couldn’t quite call “underrated,” but it may be overshadowed a little by The Stepover.

On March 12, 1997, towards the end of AI’s rookie-of-the-year campaign, Iverson poured in a game-high 37 points in a Sixers loss to the defending champion Chicago Bulls.

But the highlight of that night was seeing Iverson cross up Michael Jordan, his self-confessed “idol” and arguably the greatest basketball player of all time.

And like so many unforgettable moments in Jordan’s career, this one also features an equally unforgettable pair of shoes: the Air Jordan 12 ‘Cherry.’

The AJ 12, which dropped in ’96, has of course gone down in history for its ‘Flu Game’ colorway, which Jordan wore in a road victory over the Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals while suffering from food poisoning.

But the ‘Cherry’ is a hot pair all of its own, replacing the black leather upper of the ‘Flu Game’ pair with white that allowed the Varsity Red mudguards to stand out. Jordan had the ‘Cherry’ 12s on his feet the night AI had him tangled up at the free throw line.

The colorway has seen a couple of retro releases, back in 2009 and 2017, and a ‘Reverse Cherry’ model dropped in 2016.

This time around, in the Air Jordan 12 Retro ‘Twist,’ red is used more as an appetizer than the main course. Contrasting the crisp white leather upper and OG faux-lizard skin mudguards, metallic University Red accents on the midfoot and eyestays catch the eye in a big way.

Put a new spin on a classic when the Air Jordan 12 Retro ‘Twist’ releases in Men’s and Kids’ sizing on 7/24 at finishline.com and in stores via mobile app reservation.

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– Available at FinishLine.com or in select stores via mobile app reservation on 7/24.

– To enter for a reservation of the Air Jordan 12 Retro ‘Twist’ in Men’s sizing, head to our mobile app on Friday, 7/16 at 1pm EST. Reservations will close on Monday, 7/19 at 3pm EST.

– Reserved pairs can be picked up in store.

– STATUS members, redeem your points for more entries.

– No pairs will be sold in stores on 7/24, only at FinishLine.com