Like a good number of dudes and a fair number of gals, I haven’t followed the NBA with much interest since Michael Jordan exited in 2003. Tried, but too much bark and vanity in my opinion, not to mention the Lakers. Jordan’s remained super low-key since his final retirement–a few Hanes cameos and the ever present Jumpman23 logo–but now a documentary is set to be made about him and his unparalleled career by bud and former sidekick, director Spike Lee. According to Lee, the doc is tentatively set to premiere at next year’s Cannes Film Festival.
It will reportedly feature a decent amount of exclusive footage from Jordan’s later and middling years with the Washington Wizards. No other information has been released. Jordan’s made a few trips to theaters in the past, including 1996’s infamous belly flop Space Jam, 2003’s Looney Tunes: Back in Action (aww, Joe Dante) and 2002’s decent if empty IMAX doc …to the Max. I was hoping for a more independent, introspective look here, but since the NBA is financing the pic, maybe next time. But Lee’s not one to compromise (he gave a pretty ballsy “fight the man” speech at my alma mater), so I’m sure his take won’t be shinier than Jordan’s dome.
Wait a sec, what’s that sound? It’s the sound of my younger brother incessantly talking my ear off about Scottie Pippen for the entire ’90s. Get out of here ghost.
Discuss: So, of course MJ deserves this doc. That’s a given. But in your opinion, which NBA player was/is the best actor (in movies, not foul drawing)? My picks are Kareem in Bruce Lee’s Game of Death and Fletch (obvi), followed up by Bo Kimble in Heaven is a Playground. If any of you remember that one, you’re cool 4 life.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:11 am
Great, another movie about blackface.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:26 am
Are you kidding?!? I mean how can you not say Shaquille O’Neal?? BLUE CHIPS?? KAZAAM?? STEEL?? I MEAN FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OR WHAT?
May 21st, 2008 at 12:35 am
I’d agree with Kareem. He’s awesome in Airplane!
And Steel is awesome. Especially the bit where Shaq has to throw a rock to hit a button. Yes, the bit that was a joke in Scary Movie 4 was deadly serious in Steel.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:38 am
Jordan definitely deserves his own documentary. Till this day I don’t see anyone in the NBA with the kind of “hang time” that guy had. The man could literally fly.
He was a spectacle and a rarity. Especially for being a great role model within a sport filled with lots of selfish, thug-types today. Even if the Bulls weren’t your team, people always pushed others out of the way to see the guy bust moves.
Basketball during the 90’s was amazing.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:38 am
Wonder how they’ll gloss over his suspension for gambling, er, stint playing minor league baseball?
May 21st, 2008 at 2:59 am
Dan,
Probably nil since it has nothing to do with his basketball career.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:30 am
First, in what way are you inferring Space Jam was a “belly flop”? If you’re referring to his “acting” then yes, quite the flop, but it did make over 200 million, is a decent kids movie and features some quality voice acting. Doesn’t matter.
The previous documentaries on Jordan are decent (with Air Time being the probably best) but they too were products of the NBA which gave them a bit of an “advertisement” feel instead of feeling like a documentary. Getting the “major-doc” treatment and being helmed by Lee should make this an enjoyment to watch.
As for best NBA player/Actor? Two words:
Jesus Shuttlesworth
May 21st, 2008 at 5:34 am
Larry Bird in CELTIC PRIDE
May 21st, 2008 at 6:16 am
Captain A… I’m not the only one who believes his purgatory in minor league baseball had more to do with his basketball career than the NBA would like us to believe.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:01 am
Actually John Salley in Bad Boys as far as verbal acting.
Kareem holds it down though.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:09 am
haha, Hakeem Olajuwon as “Luther Hakeem” in Heaven Is A Playground!!
May 21st, 2008 at 7:44 am
“Moses Guthrie†played by Julius Erving, in The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:58 am
“The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh”
I was gonna say Meadowlark Lemon from the same!
I thought the dude in He Got Game was actually pretty good. And of course let us not forget Wilt Chamberlain in Conan the Destroyer. Also all of The Harlem Globe Trotters on Scooby Doo.
May 21st, 2008 at 8:43 am
No doubt, Meadowlark Lemon was outta sight!
This movie made me wish I was born a Pisces. The closest I came was being called a “Clown Princeâ€.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:10 am
@Hunter Stephenson
“Despite mixed reviews, Space Jam was a box office success.” -Wikipedia
So it was not a flop. Get your facts straight.
Budget
$80,000,000
Gross
$90,443,603 (USA)
$230,418,342 (Worldwide)
May 21st, 2008 at 9:35 am
Not trying to rub it in or anything, but I am pisces.
I wish Netflix had that movie. I haven’t seen it since I was a kid and felt like it had been made just for me.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:37 am
@ MaK & LOTNorm
Were you guys alive when Space Jam came out? It was expected to gross $200-300 million domestically and was considered a huge disappointment by the industry and the trades. Ninety million was laughed at for then entire season by mags, viewers et al. That is why there was never a sequel(s), and the studio/MJ had planned on making a Space Jam franchise, rides et al. Not to mention, the flick was terrible, even for a kid’s film, Bill Murray excluded (duh). Worldwide it did fine, yes, but domestically it was a huge flop, a belly flop even, considering the expectations. The reviews didn’t keep them from making sequels, and comparisons to Shaq’s filmography are not adequate. Maybe you had to be there, but I’m standing by my point and will stab Wikipedia.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:53 am
@Hunter Stephenson
LooooooooooooooL, yeah I was alive, I was around 12yrs old and I did enjoy the movie as a kid, seeing 2 of my fav. characters on the big screen, (Bugs & Jordan). And I still enjoy that movie till now.
Of course a 12 years old won’t know anything about “the industry, the trades, reviews and franchises” and I admit the sequel was horrible but this was lovely.
For “which NBA player is the best actor?” I will say Shaq although i know everyone will disagree :P. But he is the funniest athlete around (Scary Movie 4 -ROFL).
May 21st, 2008 at 10:05 am
WHAT THE HELL /FILM
CONTROL+F DENNIS RODMAN NOT FOUND ?!?!?
May 21st, 2008 at 10:17 am
Ray Allen, end of thread.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:05 pm
@Robert
MissedMovies [dot] com and Amazon both offer versions of the film. At this point, you might just have to buy it; forget Netflix. We’re talking about Moses Guthrie here!
C’mon, am I the only one with Fish Fever?
May 21st, 2008 at 2:59 pm
The guy who said “He Got Game”, is spot on. It starred Ray Allen.
But what about Jamal “Silk” Wilkes in “Cornbread, Earl and Me”? (OK, he really sucked in that, but still…). And weren’t there a couple of NBA guys in “White Men Can’t Jump”?
May 21st, 2008 at 4:24 pm
And let’s not forget about the lil man that pwned, Mugsy Bogues, in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:30 am
@Hunter
I didn’t recall that, but like I said; doesn’t matter. Nice rebuttal, though.
I’m glad to see others appreciating Ray Allen in He Got Game.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:14 am
Seconded on Kareem in Airplane!
“Listen kid, I bust my ass hauling that ball up and down the court for 45 minutes every night.” etc. :)
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:19 pm
jesus shuttlesworth hands down
September 23rd, 2008 at 2:04 pm
bla bla bla….. i got a real question here!! Douse Spike Lee Like Lemons? OMG i need to NOO!!!! not limes…. lemons im so ceral aboot thias guys and yea im canadian and damn straight proud of it! ^.^