- Luke Donald and Michael Jordan have been good friends for years
- The captain of Europe lives a few doors down from the basketball icon in Florida
- Presenting gifts is a tradition for the Ryder Cup captains during the biennial competition
Luke Donald has gifted his victorious Ryder Cup players with a pair of limited-edition sneakers designed by his good friend Michael Jordan.
The European captain lives just a few doors away from the basketball icon in a gated community in Jupiter, Florida, after they met in Chicago more than a decade ago.
Since presenting gifts is a tradition among captains during the biennial competition, Donald clearly called on Jordan to help him with a unique offering that went beyond the obvious.
The boots have been uniquely adapted for Donald’s 12 men, who recorded a stunning 16.5-11.5 win on Sunday to reclaim the cup.
Jordan has long been the most visible cheerleader for the US at the Ryder Cup, but Donald revealed shortly before the match that the NBA legend first skipped the showdown in Rome in 1997.
Luke Donald has gifted his victorious Ryder Cup players with a pair of limited edition sneakers
Europe captain Luke Donald (L) and Michael Jordan (R) have been good friends for years
Air Jordans are one of Nike’s most profitable products after selling approximately 150 million pairs
Jordan predicted to Donald at dinner a few weeks before the match that Europe would win despite being the underdog – whether sincere or not, it turned out to be correct.
By some estimates, 150 million pairs of Air Jordans have been sold since their launch in 1985, making them one of Nike’s most profitable products.
The edition distributed to European players would probably not be on the market.
Golfers from both the European and American teams also received watches from Rolex, which sponsored the competition.
