Support NeoGAF

NinjaBoyLao · Apr 20, 2015

Honestly, its not surprising. I came from a basketball freak country, and Jordan is all over the place. And almost everyone eat, drink and breath Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan's Chinese movie.

But I don't even knew OJ Simpson up until the case hit the news. And when I was young, I only heard Pele's name on a quiz bee.

I wouldn't ask weird question like the OP though especially now that there's google to research about a person's popularity.

Jonm1010 · Apr 20, 2015

The better question the op could of asked is whether Michael Jordan would have been famous without his equally successful personal brand building and endorsements career. Through Hanes, Air Jordan's, film, Nike, Gatorade, Wheaties, instructional videos etc. Or if basketball itself would have grown the way It did without Jordan.

To which the answer would still be yes to both, but probably wouldn't have grown near where it did and has. On both acounts.

Softgels · Apr 20, 2015

bionic77 said:
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a mark ass trick ass biiiiiiiiitch who wasn't shit before or after Space Jam.

There are several reasons that people know his name, none of them have anything to do with anything he did by himself or some shitty ass movie. First, he became famous as the guy that got all the attention and glory for the championships that Scottie and Phil Jackson won. Hell Pippen almost got to the finals 2x by himself. Jordan never did shit except I guess that one time he scored a lot of points against Larry Bird and lost (legendary I know). Secondly, he was and is most famous as being the worlds greatest shoe salesman. Basically he is a successful Al Bundy. Finally, he never would have won shit if MJ didn't get AIDS and if the Lakers ever figured out how to utilize the Godlike powers of one Cedric "the Great" Ceballos.

So in summary. Jordan is, was and will never be shit.

Birdman15 · Apr 20, 2015

rekameohs said:
I believe I can fly~~~

I believe I can touch the sky~~~

I think about it every night and day~~~

Spread my wings and flyyyy away~~~

Quoted for visibility

LMFAO!!! Got me dying out here

EmptySpace · Apr 20, 2015

yeah, people know him for space jam.

also

Schlep · Apr 20, 2015

Soup Bar said:
Nobody knew who Shaq was until Kazaam either.

Yeah, right. Shaq was famous way before then.

Pristine_Condition · Apr 20, 2015

Earthpainting said:
I don't think I've seen anyone in the thread agree with the original question. The man is clearly in Space Jam because he was already a highly accomplished and marketable athlete. I also don't think the UK is all that of an outlier either. I lived in Monaco at the time of these glory days, and I don't think I've seen much if anything other than F1 Grand Prix, cycling, Tennis and Football(/Soccer) in the minds of the people. After that I've lived in the Netherlands and now Belgium, and none of those really had basketball roaming around in the Zeitgeist either. I guess there are enough sports that take up TV airtime and newspaper space already.

That's even more funny, because the Dream Team's last training camp and "tune-up" game just days before the Olympics was in Monte Carlo. The Dream Team was treated like rock stars during their time there. At the end of the week, Prince Albert II attended the sold-out scrimmage game vs the French National Team. Michael Jordan famously played 36 holes of golf every day with head coach Chuck Daley and stayed up until 5:00am every night playing cards, between practices.

SpoonyBard · Apr 20, 2015

Would Hitler be as famous as he is, if not for all the documentaries they made of him?

Pristine_Condition · Apr 20, 2015

bionic77 said:
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a mark ass trick ass biiiiiiiiitch who wasn't shit before or after Space Jam.

There are several reasons that people know his name, none of them have anything to do with anything he did by himself or some shitty ass movie. First, he became famous as the guy that got all the attention and glory for the championships that Scottie and Phil Jackson won. Hell Pippen almost got to the finals 2x by himself. Jordan never did shit except I guess that one time he scored a lot of points against Larry Bird and lost (legendary I know). Secondly, he was and is most famous as being the worlds greatest shoe salesman. Basically he is a successful Al Bundy. Finally, he never would have won shit if MJ didn't get AIDS and if the Lakers ever figured out how to utilize the Godlike powers of one Cedric "the Great" Ceballos.

So in summary. Jordan is, was and will never be shit.

Wow. I had no idea Isiah Thomas had a NeoGAF account!

Mabufu · Apr 20, 2015

It was an stellar basketball player, so yeah.

Hans.Gruber · Apr 20, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmMWqQ91KQ8

After this game, everybody in Germany knew MJ. The 96-98 Bulls games were shown on basic cable during the day. Today there is no NBA on German TV even tho Dirk and Schröder are playing. One of my work buddies is wearing J's today.
So yeah, Jordan would have been 99% as big a deal without Space Jam.

blazeaire · Apr 20, 2015

OMG, this thread, I AM CACKLING

FeenixRising · Apr 20, 2015

bionic77 said:
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a mark ass trick ass biiiiiiiiitch who wasn't shit before or after Space Jam.

There are several reasons that people know his name, none of them have anything to do with anything he did by himself or some shitty ass movie. First, he became famous as the guy that got all the attention and glory for the championships that Scottie and Phil Jackson won. Hell Pippen almost got to the finals 2x by himself. Jordan never did shit except I guess that one time he scored a lot of points against Larry Bird and lost (legendary I know). Secondly, he was and is most famous as being the worlds greatest shoe salesman. Basically he is a successful Al Bundy. Finally, he never would have won shit if MJ didn't get AIDS and if the Lakers ever figured out how to utilize the Godlike powers of one Cedric "the Great" Ceballos.

So in summary. Jordan is, was and will never be shit.

Karl Malone yall!!!

KingSnake · Apr 20, 2015

This thread has too few MJ playing gifs. I'm from Europe and I was into basketball in high-school so I knew the players from NBA, but even so Jordan is probably the most well known basketball player outside of US.

I was more of a Magic Johnson fan,

but Jordan was definitely the most popular one. I think during those times also the NBA was more popular in Europe, I think a lot more NBA games where on TV. And somehow I have the feeling Jordan is the American with the name most present on clothing. So yeah, he was someone before that stupid movie. And the Olympics games have a lot more audience than that movie and Dream Team was the highlight of Barcelona 1992.

rekameohs · Apr 20, 2015

KingSnake said:
This thread has too few MJ playing gifs. I'm from Europe and I was into basketball in high-school so I knew the players from NBA, but even so Jordan is probably the most well known basketball player outside of US.

but Jordan was definitely the most popular one. I think during those times also the NBA was more popular in Europe, I think a lot more NBA games where on TV. And somehow I have the feeling Jordan is the American with the name most present on clothing. So yeah, he was someone before that stupid movie. And the Olympics games have a lot more audience than that movie and Dream Team was the highlight of Barcelona 1992.

Here's one you forgot

KingSnake · Apr 20, 2015

rekameohs said:
Here's one you forgot

This is a better angle for that:

Actually the movie worked so well because he had alien jumping abilities.

rekameohs · Apr 20, 2015

"They killed Foghorn Leghorn....right in front of his teammates."

Support NeoGAF

Would Michael Jordan have been famous if it wasn't for Space Jam?

NinjaBoyLao

Member

Jonm1010

Banned

Softgels

Banned

Birdman15

Banned

EmptySpace

Banned

Schlep

Member

Pristine_Condition

Member

SpoonyBard

Banned

Pristine_Condition

Member

Mabufu

Banned

Hans.Gruber

Banned

blazeaire

Member

FeenixRising

Banned

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton

rekameohs

Banned

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton

rekameohs

Banned

Similar threads