*Will Smith once begged Micheal Jordan to give him a pair of his newest Jordan shoes back in the day.
Smith is said to have made the request while starring on the popular comedy series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” According to Basketball Network, Smith wanted his character to wear the sneakers in the show, so “Smith begged Jordan to give him a pair,” the outlet writes.
“I was living the culture. I was literally calling Jordan like ‘Mike, please, please don’t give them to nobody. Let me be the first person, I gotta be the first person to wear it’. And he was like ‘Man, I don’t run that’.,” Smith said in an interview on Showtime’s “All The Smoke.”
Smith was able to make a statement on the show with the Jordans, as “Jordan 5 Retro Fresh Prince shoes are one of the most sought-after pairs in the entire Jordan collection,” per Basketball Network.
READ MORE: Will Smith Hits Red Carpet for LA Premiere of ‘Emancipation’
In related news, last week Smith and his family attended the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film “Emancipation, directed by Antoine Fuqua.
The Smiths, Will, and wife Jada, and their kids Jaden and Willow, as well as Trey Smith, the actor’s son from his first marriage, gathered on Wednesday at the Regency Village Theatre for the red-carpet event.
Per the official synopsis: “Emancipation” tells the triumphant story of Peter (Smith), a man who escapes from slavery, relying on his wits, unwavering faith and deep love for his family to evade cold-blooded hunters and the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana on his quest for freedom. The film is inspired by the 1863 photos of “Whipped Peter,” taken during a Union Army medical examination, that first appeared in Harper’s Weekly. One image, known as “The Scourged Back,” which shows Peter’s bare back mutilated by a whipping delivered by his enslavers, ultimately contributed to growing public opposition to slavery.
The LA premiere marked the first time Smith has attended a high-profile event since slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars in March.
Smith stars in “Emancipation” alongside Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor, Mustafa Shakir, Steven Ogg, Grant Harvey, Ronnie Gene Bivens, Jayson Warner Smith, Jabbar Lewis, Michael Luwoye, Aaron Moten and Imani Pullum.
“Emancipation” was released in select theaters on Dec. 2 and debuts on Apple TV+ on Dec. 9.
