Whatever you do, don’t forget my North Carolina shorts.” —Michael Jordan, Space Jam

Luke Winkelmann is a baller, figuratively and literally. The unassuming 19-year-old has emerged as one of snowboarding’s standout young phenoms—a rare central East Coast native turned triple-corking Olympic slopestyle hopeful who also gets buck in the streets. Luke’s seamless skills have commandeered mainstream recognition and sponsorships, but unlike some young stars before him, he’s keeping a cool head about the hype. Off mountain, you’ll likely find him near home shooting hoops. Combine Luke’s love for the game with his roots in North Carolina, and it probably comes as no surprise that he draws plenty of inspiration from basketball legend Michael Jordan.

“I’ve always been so into basketball, like my dad,” Luke says. “He went to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he met my mom, and he was at UNC the same time Michael Jordan was there rehabbing his foot. During his first year with the Bulls, Michael broke his foot and came back to UNC to ‘rehab’ it, but really he just wanted to play basketball and the Bulls weren’t letting him. So my dad was actually able to meet him and play in a pickup game with him.”… 

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