Idris Elba is one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, having appeared in several iconic television shows and films. His role on The Wire was one of the most critically acclaimed performances ever, and Elba has since become a huge star in the industry. He is also a fan of many sports, basketball included, and has spent some time hanging out with Michael Jordan.
He was recently asked about the time he hung out with Jordan and during that interview on Complex’s ‘Sneaker Shopping’ series, he revealed how he had once spoken to MJ about playing him in a biopic. However, he went on to explain that Jordan responded by saying that he wasn’t ready for it yet:
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“I even said to him one time, ‘I want to play you,’” Elba told host Joe La Puma. “He was like, ‘Hm, I’m not ready yet.’ That’s what he said, ‘I’m not ready yet.’ … I was dead serious.
“In my head, playing Jordan wouldn’t be about playing the basketball player; it was about the businessman,” he said. “He is a very astute businessman, really smart. And his work as a philanthropist is unspoken, but people don’t understand the work. He cares; he does a lot of work. So that’s where I was hinting at. I wanna play Jordan—I’m doing that. He was like, ‘Ah, I’m not ready for that story yet.’”
Alba’s idea about playing Jordan as a businessman would be a stellar one, his decision to choose Nike and his many ventures since have made MJ a billionaire after all. Although, if the Last Dance was any evidence, Michael Jordan is very particular about how his story is shared with the world.
There’s also a possibility that if it’s about his later life, Jordan may just want to play himself, which would be quite fun to watch. But if he did decide to let a big-screen actor take a crack at playing him, then he could do a lot worse than choosing Elba, one of the most passionate and charismatic performers of all time.
