NBA Team Pulls 'Controversial' Michael Jordan Shirt From Its Store

Utah Jazz don't have the fondest memories of Michael Jordan, so fans didn't take kindly to the team store selling his brand's apparel.

A fan posted a photo of a T-shirt with the iconic Jumpman logo printed over the words "Utah Jazz." Delta Center sold the merchandise, which didn't go over well with a fanbase that watched Jordan's Chicago Bulls beat the Jazz in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals.

"Fire whoever allowed this design," Laird Doman wrote when posting a photo of the shirt on social media.

Per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune, a Jazz spokesperson confirmed that they pulled those shirts from the team store.

The NBA is partners with the Jordan Brand, so most teams sell a similar shirt featuring the Jumpman logo. Larsen noted that the emblem is also showcased on Utah's black "Statement" jersey, also available at the team shop.

Yet this Jumpan shirt caused a heated uproar.

"This shirt might sum up the Jazz's brand woes the best: it feels like no one in that department has any sense at all about the team's history," Larsen wrote.

"Is Utah trying to expand beyond its own fans?" Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey asked. "Asking Jazz fans to buy a shirt on which Michael Jordan is literally dunking on the team??"

"This is like Tokyo putting out a shirt with Godzilla on it," comedian Ian Karmel said.

Jordan was responsible for many teams falling short of championships throughout his career, but he particularly haunted the Jazz. 

The legendary guard averaged 32.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists during the 1997 Finals, including 38 points in the famous "Flu Game." That performance gave Chicago a 3-2 lead with a 90-88 victory, and the Bulls closed the deal with a 90-86 triumph in Game 6.

The Bulls again dispatched the Jazz in six games the following year. Jordan closed the series with a game-winning shot that remains one of the most renowned plays in NBA history.

Jazz fans didn't want a reminder of those painful moments.