It is very difficult to put into words the significance of Michael Jordan as a cultural icon. The popularity of the NBA today would not be possible if Michael Jordan never played in the league between 1984 to 1998.
Jordan entered the league after 3 successful years at North Carolina and joined the Chicago Bulls as the third overall pick. Jordan immediately established himself as a superstar, becoming an All-Star and a very successful player in the league.
Jordan’s explosive scoring and athleticism also helped popularize his Air Jordan shoe line. The contract he signed with Nike gave him a signature shoe as he entered the league. And as he became more and more popular, the shoes became a cultural symbol which people felt they had to get their hands on.
Aside from that, Jordan also became an important figure in popular media, with directors like Spike Lee often using references to Jordan in order to establish a movie’s connection with the current cultural trends. Jordan was on top of the world, and his popularity grew with each passing year.
So much so that MJ even got to host the popular sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, becoming one of the few athletes in history to host the television program mostly reserved for actors and artists. Jordan was a breath of fresh air and also showed his comedic side in the skits.
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One of the skits gave fans an iconic picture that still holds relevance to this day. In this picture, Michael Jordan is dressed in old-school Harlem Globetrotters uniforms alongside actors who have become famous today like Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, David Spade, and Kevin Nealon.
The skit was set in the past and focused on the reaction of Globetrotters players meeting the first-ever African American Harlem Globetrotter. The Globetrotters skit was just one of the many skits Jordan took part in as the host of the show.
Jordan was an immense cultural icon. So much so that his popularity has grown more so since the time he walked away from the game. People gather in droves to get a glimpse of ‘His Airness’, who most recently attracted attention for vacationing in Croatia in a $1.2 million per week yacht.
And his role as a symbol of excellence in society is still thriving to this day. Many consider Jordan the best-ever athlete of all time and is considered the standard-bearer for all athletes in the world today.
