Some names don't need a last name. Ali. Tyson. Biggie. When you put one of them on a shirt, people know what you mean before they read a word. That's why a Black icons graphic tee hits different from a random logo. It says who you look up to. Our line The Black Champions is built around that idea: the fighters, hoopers and legends who changed the game. Here's the real story behind each one, and the piece we made for them.
One note up front: these are our tribute pieces. We're not claiming any of these legends, or their families, back our brand. We just know what they mean to a lot of people.
Black icons graphic tees and hoodies: the stories behind them
Muhammad Ali: The Greatest
Ali was born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1942. He won Olympic gold in Rome in 1960, then took the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston in 1964. That same year he changed his name to Muhammad Ali. In 1967 he refused to be drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War. He was stripped of his title and didn't fight for over three years. In 1971 the Supreme Court overturned his conviction. He went on to win the heavyweight title again, and became the first man to win it three times.
He called himself The Greatest, and he backed it up in and out of the ring. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" is still one of the most quoted lines in sports. Our ALI hoodie puts The Greatest big across the back, and the ALI tee gives you the same energy for warmer days.
Mike Tyson: Iron Mike
Tyson was born in Brooklyn in 1966 and grew up in Brownsville. In November 1986 he beat Trevor Berbick and became the youngest heavyweight champion in history, at 20 years old. People still talk about how fast his fights ended back then. A lot of opponents looked beaten before the bell.
That's the feeling in our Tyson Iron Mike hoodie: gloves up across the back, for people who never backed down either. There's also the Iron Mike tee with a bold front graphic, and the Tyson bomber jacket if you want it on outerwear.
The Notorious B.I.G.: The King of New York
Christopher Wallace was born in Brooklyn in 1972. His first album, Ready to Die, came out in 1994 and changed East Coast rap. He was killed in Los Angeles in March 1997, at 24. His second album, Life After Death, came out a couple of weeks later. He's still called the King of New York, and his style is still copied: Coogi sweaters, big frames, a crown.
Our BIGGIE tee is the crown-on look on a black tee. If you want more, the Biggie hoodie puts the King of New York across your back, and the Biggie bomber has fleece inside and Brooklyn outside.
Michael Jordan: His Airness
Six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls, six Finals MVPs. Jordan made basketball global and turned a sneaker into a culture. Our Jordan hoodie shows His Airness mid-flight in a big back graphic. No words needed.
Allen Iverson: The Answer
Iverson was the 2001 NBA MVP with the Philadelphia 76ers, and one of the smallest players ever to win it. His crossover is famous. So is his style: cornrows, tattoos, baggy jeans, headbands. When the NBA brought in a dress code in 2005, a lot of people saw it as a reaction to the hip-hop style players like him made normal. The Iverson hoodie is for the people who played with heart.
Freedom's Journal: Plead Our Own Cause
Not every champion is a person. Freedom's Journal, first printed in New York on March 16, 1827, was the first Black-owned newspaper in the United States. Its first issue opened with this: "We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us." Our Plead Our Own Cause hoodie is that front page, with the real words from that issue.
How to wear a graphic tribute piece
These are big back graphics, so keep the rest simple. A plain jacket, dark pants, clean shoes. Let one piece carry the outfit. If you want ideas, our graphic tee outfits guide breaks it down, and our look at 90s NBA streetwear fits right in with the Jordan and Iverson pieces.
For colder days, the Bad Day work jacket is army green with THE BLACK CHAMPIONS arched across the back. Built it on a bad day. It goes over any of the hoodies above.
See the full line in The Black Champions collection.