Two words: Space Jam.
But we will get to that later.
The greatest player to ever step onto a basketball court, Michael Jordan, will turn 50 years young on Feb. 17.
I am not writing this to compare His Airness to this generation's stars like LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.
I wanted to take some time and celebrate how Jordan changed the game of basketball forever.
He did things that seemed impossible with a basketball. What he did off the court made him a global icon.
He transcended sports and made himself a household name for people who knew nothing of sports.
It's got to be the shoes!
There were other players that had shoes named after them, like Chuck Taylor and the Magic Johnson/Larry Bird Weapon.
But the Air Jordans changed one man into a brand. They're still making those shoes, and MJ hasn't even played since 2003.
I believe I can fly.
Name another professional athlete that can save a gang of cartoon characters from alien enslavement. If you didn't watch "Space Jam" when you were a kid, you need to get your childhood back.
Will there be another player like Jordan on the court? Maybe.
But will there be another sports icon like him? Never again.
Reach the reporter at edmund.hubbard@asu.edu
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