Michael Jordan is still considered the greatest of all time by many although LeBron James has been knocking on that door for years. However, director Spike Lee asserted recently that Jordan is a much bigger star now when he was still playing for the Chicago Bulls.
In an interview with Complex in Paris, Lee explained why Jordan continued to grow and become a pop culture icon. MJ's shoes have been one of the biggest brands out there and continue to be among the best sellers despite not being an active player.
"I would say Michael has not played in two decades and he's bigger now than when he was playing. That's how much influence he's had on this great game of basketball," Lee said.
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Spike Lee formed a friendship with Michael Jordan back in the late 1980s when he directed a commercial for the Jordan 3. Lee has been part of the Jordan Brand family since and has seen it grow to become what it is now.
Fans reacted to Spike's comments, giving their opinions on the matter. Some were positive, while one fan called the legendary director a "media plant."
"Spike Lee is just another media plant to help boost the MJ legacy. MJ is the media's 🐐 and even some of the media don't think he's the greatest of all time," the fan wrote.
"Stephen A, Rob Parker, Skip Bayless. I can never call anyone with games shooting 5 for 19 and 6 for 19 versus the Seattle SuperSonics' Hersey Hawkins," the fan continued.
"When it comes to MJ everyone is a plant because he's not gonna have anyone around him to dim his light/dull his shine or say nothing bad about him. Sport Illustrated told him to hang the baseball cleats up and he was tighter than John Stockton shorts," the fan explained.
It's just one fan, but others know the cultural impact Michael Jordan has had not just on basketball players. Jordan has cemented himself as a pop culture icon years after his NBA career was over.
"MJ will forever be the man. He's the blueprint but the younger generation only knows of MJ because everyone always trying to compare other players. Everytime Kobe, Lebron and now Ant are brought up in conversation MJ's name is brought up," one fan commented.
"My son is 3 y/o and talks about Michael Jordan. Never seen one game it's crazy," a fan replied.
"Jordan is a timeless icon like Superman. Almost mythical," another fan remarked.
Michael Jordan torched Spike Lee's Knicks during his career
Despite their friendship and collaboration, Michael Jordan did not care about Spike Lee's fandom of the New York Knicks. Jordan put Lee and the rest of the Knicks fanbase in hell over the years, preventing them from winning any championship during his time in the NBA.
In 60 regular-season games against the Knicks during his career, Jordan averaged 31.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 60 games. It went up to 33.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 27 games in the playoffs.
