Monday Kick(s) Off : SB Dunks – “Aquas” vs. “Space Jams”

Aquas:

Space Jams

The Monster’s Vote: I think both are dope, so really tough call. In the end, I think I go Space Jams because I’m a sucker for that patent leather.

NEW BIG SODA & POPCORN – THE REAL MARCH MADDNESS (April 6, 2010)

SPORTS MOVIE HEROES vs. SPORTS MOVIE VILLAINS (THE REAL MARCH MADNESS)

This whole March Madness thing makes me super competitive—I think it’s because of all the overly dramatic buzzwords CBS keeps bombarding me with.  For a full month every year, my head spins with “Cinderella,” “miracle shots,” and “George Masons.”  It’s tiring.  So rather than fight it any longer, I’ve started embracing my inherent, tribal fighting spirit.  In the past week alone, I mercilessly beat a 10-year old in a paper airplane flying contest, aggressively argued that Digger Phelps might actually dress worse than Craig Sager, and considered the marketability of a tapioca pudding wrestling match between Tiger Woods’ and Jesse James’ respective mistresses.

Knowing how much my people here at The Mixtape Monster Blog love sports movies, I want to keep this streak of contentiousness alive by giving you the ultimate showdown between our favorite heroes and villains from that genre.  Sports movies and the NCAA Tournament are perfect parallels—they’re no good without underdogs, bullies and buzzer-beaters—so you can see why this has been on my mind lately.  Before we jump into this thing, though, let’s keep a few points in mind:

1. There are four regions—two for heroes, two for villains—each with 16 competitors, facing off until the championship clash between good and evil.
2. This is not Bloodsport.  These characters are not fighting each other.  Consider this more like a showdown of awesome-ness.
3. For heroes, inspiration is key; For villains, think about how dastardly they are.
4. Feel free to disagree with me at any point and comment on it.  I’m a big boy who can handle a little dissent.  Besides, I already know you’re wrong.

ROUND ONE

Mick McAllister Region – Villains

(1) Clubber Lang (Rocky III)  vs.  (8) Alejandro “Butch” Heddo (Rookie of the Year)

This is a typical first-round blowout.  Butch Heddo made the tournament by being able to grip a baseball bat so tight it turned to sawdust, but his skills are limited to that alone.  Seriously, the guy struck out on a “floater” pitch?!?  On the other hand, Clubber Lang was an orphan from the streets of Chicago, who learned how to box in prison, and demolished Rocky in their first matchup.  No Cinderella story here.

(4) The Judge (The Natural)  vs.  (5) Rachel Phelps (Major League)

We’ve got a tight matchup here—two team owners who want their squads to lose, so they stock them with washed-up no-names.  The Judge pulls out a win by resorting to bribery, blackmail, conspiracy and stripping the clothes off a cardboard cutout of Rachel Phelps.

(3) The Monstars (Space Jam)  vs.  (6) Russ Wheeler (Days of Thunder)

Our first upset! Pretty-boy Russ Wheeler, driver of the #18 Hardee’s car, will put you in the wall at a moment’s notice.  The Monstars were clearly over-seeded, looking more like the Nerdlucks back home on Moron Mountain in this showdown.

(2) Coach Bud Kilmer (Varsity Blues)  vs.  (7) Ernie McCracken (Kingpin)

Ernie McCracken may be a fantastic dancer, an immaculate dresser, and sports an awesome comb-over, but he’s also a weasel who runs from an altercation.  Coach Kilmer destroys him the same way he did Paul Walker’s ankle.

Jack Parkman Region – Villains

(1) Shooter McGavin (Happy Gilmore)  vs.  (8) Coach Red Beaulieu (The Waterboy)

The #1 seed easily outdoes the Coachin’ Cajun with his wealth of powerful connections.  Beaulieu’s stolen playbook didn’t have enough magic to slow down Shooter, the clear favorite to win this region.

(4) Ogie Oglethorpe (Slapshot)  vs.  (5) Wolf “The Dentist” Stansson (D2)

This battle between enforcers of the ice pits the Syracuse Bulldogs’ goon against the stone-cold coach of the Iceland junior national team.  While Oglethorpe put on a formidable show in this nail-biter, Stansson takes the win by being violent enough to get himself kicked out of America. (How many penalties do you need for deportation, anyway?)

(3) Ivan Drago (Rocky IV)  vs.  (6) Eddie Martel (The Replacements)

Seriously?!  Drago chops spoiled superstars like Martel up for his post-workout smoothies.  The Red Army captain was married to Brigitte Nielsen, who also would have beaten Martel in this tournament.

(2) Johnny Lawrence (The Karate Kid)  vs.  (7) Bull Hurley (Over the Top)

Cobra Kai’s star pupil struggled early with the arm wrestling trucker, but fought back after a soul-sucking tongue lashing from his sensei.

Jimmy Chitwood Region – Heroes

(1) Rocky Balboa (Rocky Series)  vs.  (8) Ryan Dunne (Summer Catch)

Balboa, the tournament’s #1 overall seed, easily advances after facing Dunne who barely snuck into the field by winning the Unathletic Teen Heartthrob Conference (UTHC) Tournament.

(4) Coach Herman Boone (Remember the Titans)  vs.  (5) Coach Norman Dale (Hoosiers)

Two headstrong coaches that no one wanted square off in this tough #4 vs. #5 matchup.  Coach Boone has the edge by preparing with more difficult competition in the regular season—not only were his redneck detractors angry, but racist to boot.

(3) Steve Prefontaine (Without Limits)  vs.  (6) Shane Falco (The Replacements)

We’re talking about Billy Crudup here, not that weak Jared Leto crab.  Pre’s balls-to-the-wall refusal to lose puts “Footsteps” Falco under the gun early and the washed-up college QB never quite recovers.  Falco is back cleaning boats after Round One.

(2) Crash Davis (Bull Durham)  vs.  (7) Bill Murray (Space Jam)

Nobody gives speeches like Crash Davis—except maybe Chet “The Rocket” Steadman—but he pairs that with uncanny natural ability.  Bill Murray, however, is nothing more than a solid role player, a great 9th man.  While you’ve got to respect his desire just to play the game, his age and lack of talent are too much to overcome against a stronger opponent head-to-head.

Henry Rowengartner Region – Heroes

(1) Charlie Conway (Mighty Ducks Series)  vs.  (8) Ollie (Hoosiers)

All #1 seeds advance to the second round as the Mighty Ducks’ captain mops up Hickory’s diminutive team manager.  Ollie relied on his infamous granny-shot free throws all season, but it’s still not enough to take down Conway.

(4) Jake Taylor (Major League Series)  vs.  (5) Jimmy Dolan (The Air Up There)

Talk about two guys at the bottom of the well.  Taylor is a rundown catcher with bad knees playing in Mexico; Dolan is as assistant basketball coach with no apparent upward mobility in his career.  In the end, Taylor learns that there really is no defense for the “Shake and Bake.”

(3) Daniel “Rudy” Reuttiger (Rudy)  vs.  (6) Vince Papale (Invincible)

This upset has brackets busted all over the world.  Rudy came in as America’s sweetheart—no size, no talent, no grades, no money, no friends—but the tournament committee gave him a tough draw with Papale.  Rudy’s lack of pure skill, combined with his dyslexia and the crowd’s inability to chant his name for entire game, lead to the biggest upset of the first round.

(2) Maggie Fitzgerald (Million Dollar Baby)  vs.  (7) Becky “Icebox” O’Shea (Little Giants)

Female boxing is real…and tough.  Laila Ali is no joke, and neither is Maggie Fitzgerald.  Becky O’Shea is undoubtedly talented, but it’s hard to really gauge her ability when she’s only pounding on prepubescent boys half her size.  Icebox’s lack of quality preparation becomes obvious as Maggie chops her up in the first round.

ROUND TWO

Mick McAllister Region – Villains

(1) Clubber Lang (Rocky)  vs.  (4) The Judge (The Natural)

Excellent matchup here.  There’s no doubting that The Judge was a heartless monster, willing to have his players killed if they didn’t lose enough games.  In the end, though, it was Clubber’s barrage of catchphrases that led to victory.  My prediction: pain.

(2) Coach Bud Kilmer (Varsity Blues)  vs.  (6) Russ Wheeler (Days of Thunder)

Kilmer eats, drinks and breathes winning—he can’t tolerate losing.  Wheeler relies more on talent than determination.  His cockiness gets the better of him here and Kilmer leaves him crying on the sidelines with Billy Bob.

Jack Parkman Region – Villains

(1) Shooter McGavin (Happy Gilmore)  vs.  (5) Wolf “The Dentist” Stansson (D2)

Shooter has proven that he’s not above playing dirty to win.  Realizing that Wolf Stansson would be a formidable opponent, Shooter distracts him by playing scenes from Showtime’s erotic drama, Red Shoe Diaries, starring Stansson himself.  (No joke, Carsten Norgaard did an episode of that show—and you can see it on Hulu!)

(2) Johnny Lawrence (The Karate Kid)  vs.  (3) Ivan Drago (Rocky IV)

Johnny Lawrence is clearly over-hyped, all flash and no flame.  He previously suffered crushing defeats at the hands of Daniel-san and Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School.  Drago is no bully, just a fighting machine programmed to kill without remorse (“If he dies, he dies”).  It looks like Johnny is the one leaving in a body bag.

Jimmy Chitwood Region – Heroes

(1) Rocky Balboa (Rocky series)  vs.  (4) Coach Herman Boone (Remember the Titans)

Coach Boone is truly an inspirational character, worthy of our praise.  But Rocky is no slouch either.  They both are both self-made men, coming up against fierce adversity.  Rocky gets the nod here on the strength of numerous training montages.

(2) Crash Davis (Bull Durham)  vs.  (3) Steve Prefontaine (Without Limits)

Prefontaine is probably the most strong-willed competitor in this field.  While that makes him a tough draw for any competition, it also makes him unpredictable and prone to acting rashly.  Crash would know this, as well as how to exploit that immaturity and inexperience.

Henry Rowengartner Region – Heroes

(1) Charlie Conway (The Mighty Ducks series)  vs.  (5) Jimmy Dolan (The Air Up There)

Jimmy Dolan is crafty (who else recruits remote African tribes?), but is he Flying-V crafty?  I doubt it.  I just don’t think Dolan has the leadership skills and selfless, team-first quality that Conway does.  After all, isn’t the triple deke just a shake-and-bake…but on ice?

(2) Maggie Fitzgerald (Million Dollar Baby)  vs.  (6) Vince Papale (Invincible)

Here we’ve got two 30-year old no-names with something to prove and nothing to lose.  Both have been significantly kicked around by life—Vince’s wife left him and took everything, while Maggie’s family wanted nothing to do with her from the start.  Both are too old to chase dreams of being football players and boxers.  I’m giving this one to Maggie because I’d rather watch Clint Eastwood than Greg Kinnear any day.

ROUND THREE

Mick McAllister Region – Villains

(1) Clubber Lang (Rocky)  vs.  (2) Coach Bud Kilmer (Varsity Blues)

Clubber Lang was a bad man.  It’s claimed that his character was loosely based on a combination of Sonny Liston, Larry Holmes and George Foreman—that’s a whole bunch of meanness tied up in one mohawked bundle.  But Bud Kilmer is the worst kind of villain.  He uses high school kids to feed his feverish obsession.  He’s inspirational for class acts like Greg Wise, the Texas high school basketball “coach” who actively aims to beat other teams by 100 points.  This merciless approach might make you a detestable human being, but it definitely helps your cause in this bracket.

Jack Parkman Region – Villains

(1) Shooter McGavin (Happy Gilmore)  vs.  (3) Ivan Drago (Rocky IV)

Drago is a serious opponent.  261 pounds.  Five cattle-sized doses of roids every day.  2150 psi punching power (awesome name for a band by the way).  It took Rocky 15 rounds to knock the commie out.  However, if I know anything about the Cold War Soviets, it’s that they’re more crooked than Trail Ridge Road.  Abusing that kind of corruption is Shooter 101.  He could take down Drago from a number of angles.

Jimmy Chitwood Region – Heroes

(1) Rocky Balboa (Rocky series)  vs.  (2) Crash Davis (Bull Durham)

Crash Davis is by far the most complex character in this tournament.  He is also one of the most pure characters, less contrived than the others.  For every “Miracle on Ice,” there have been a million Crash Davises—talented, dedicated guys who just couldn’t make it stick in the big leagues.  At a certain point in time, ballplayers are just trying to prolong their time around the game.  Trying to outlast the inevitable just a little longer, when the knees start to ache and the organization has passed them over a few times.  It’s admirable to stick around at that point.  It shows a true love for the game.  Rocky lost that passion during his fast car and robot butler stage.  Crash never did.

Henry Rowengartner Region – Heroes

(1) Charlie Conway (Mighty Ducks series)  vs.  (2) Maggie Fitzgerald (Million Dollar Baby)

Sure Million Dollar Baby fought her way up the female boxing ranks, but Captain Duck created hockey’s equivalent of the alley-oop.  That’s no small feat.  But seriously, Charlie showed he was able to put an entire team (nay, an entire nation) before himself when he gave up his roster spot in D2 so Banks could come back.  That kind of selflessness can’t be overlooked, so he moves on to the Final Four.

FINAL FOUR

(2) Coach Bud Kilmer (Varsity Blues)  vs.  (1) Shooter McGavin (Happy Gilmore)

Kilmer, like any grade school bully, thrives on intimidating those weaker than himself.  That’s why coaching high school boys is the perfect outlet for him.  They look up to him, rely on his approval and feel a need to impress him.  Shooter, however, is no boy.  Sure, Happy Gilmore beat him with an absurdly lucky putt on the 18^th hole, but he didn’t get to be the tour’s #1 player by being any ordinary geek-off-the-street.  He got there by being cold, calculated and ruthless.

(2) Crash Davis (Bull Durham)  vs.  (1) Charlie Conway (The Mighty Ducks series)

Interesting matchup here on the hero side of the Final Four.  Neither is the most talented player, but both genuinely care about what they’re doing.  The main difference is how they approach the game.  Crash is a wild care and a free spirit, whereas Charlie plays by the book, a coach’s dream.  It’s Charlie’s predictability that makes him vulnerable against an experienced, crafty veteran like Crash Davis.

CHAMPIONSHIP

(1) Shooter McGavin (Happy Gilmore)  vs.  (2) Crash Davis (Bull Durham)

Having two loose cannons like Shooter and Crash face off in the final is a fantastic idea.  There’s no telling what they’ll do to pull out a win.  So here, on the brink of the actual Final Four, I’m gonna let my readers tell me what they think.  Who do you think comes out on top?  More importantly, why?  Is it because Shooter has Crash run over with a VW?  Does Crash want it badly enough?  You tell me.  Don’t say I never gave you anything.

***Questions? Submissions? Want to curse out Big Soda for his taste in movies or choices of winners? He can be reached at bigsoda@themixtapemonster.com ***

The Air Jordan XI – Space Jam

My favorite shoe of all time. No question. Hands down. My favorite when it comes to looks, comfort, feel, stuntin’ on hoes, and ballin’ on court. There is no other.

Big Soda & Popcorn (March 13, 2009) – March Madness Movie Guide (DOUBLE FEATURE!)

THE ULTIMATE MARCH MADNESS GUIDE TO BASKETBALL FILMS

Ahhh yea…it’s Big Soda’s favorite time of the year. My Tar Heels just won the ACC Regular Season Championship.  NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday is this weekend.  And I’ve got a birthday coming up if anyone wants to buy me tickets.  Needless to say, I’ll be like a hyperactive child loose in FAO Schwartz for the next month.  So, until the NCAA Championship is wrapped up, you’ll be getting nothing but basketball-related Big Soda & Popcorn articles from me.

Earlier this week, I was trying to decide what the all-time classic round-ball movies are for each level of the game—high school, college, professional, street ball, and yes, even Globetrotters.  Well I did it, and I’m gonna share them with you, along with a movie I think you should check out if you haven’t already, one you can completely avoid if you desire, and a quality documentary to top it all off.

High School:

Classic:  Hoosiers (1985)

High school sports live for the David and Goliath story.  Just ask Jason McElwain.  Arguably the greatest basketball film of all time, the story of Hickory High School’s undersized and underestimated team has it all.  Team member with rocky parental relationship?  Check.  Down-on-his-luck coach with a questionable past?  Absolutely.  Reluctant star athlete with an over-protective family member?  Jimmy Chitwood was the original “Next Jordan.”  Physically- and athletically-superior opponent to overcome for the championship?  That South Bend Central team could probably beat this year’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

Check It:  The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend (1991)

At age eight, I think I watched this movie every single day.  I’d watch about 30 minutes, then go play ball for an hour, then do it all over again.  The movie tells the story of “Pistol” Pete Maravich, focusing on the 1959 season, where Pete made the varsity team as an eighth grader.  As far as memorable basketball personalities go, the Pistol is at the top of my list.  His style and flare changed the game in many ways.

Leave It:  Coach Carter (2005)

As much as I love Samuel L. Jackson yelling at me for a couple hours (not at all), you won’t be missing anything if you haven’t seen this gem yet.

Documentary: Hoop Dreams (1994)

One of the more critically-acclaimed films on this list, Hoop Dreams tells the story of two inner-city Chicago youths hoping to overcome their circumstances and make a career out of playing ball.  Touching on a number of sociological issues, including race and class, the film covers a span of five years, along with all the ups and downs the young men experience.

College:

Classic:  Blue Chips (1994)

The movie poster says all you need to know….”NOLTE – SHAQ.”  Pretty good basketball scenes thanks to Shaq and Penny Hardaway, plus a ton of great cameos (Bobby Knight, Larry Bird, Jerry Tarkanian, Robert Wuhl and Bob Cousy).  Written by the same guy who penned Bull Durham, Tin Cup, The Great White Hype, Cobb, White Men Can’t Jump, and sadly, Hollywood Homicide.  Does anyone else get the feeling that Rick Pitino is as annoying in person as he is during this scene?

Check It: City Dump: The Story of the 1951 CCNY Basketball Scandal (1998)

This HBO documentary tells the story of college basketball’s first known point-shaving scandal.  CCNY came into the 1951 season as the defending NCAA and NIT champions, but four players got caught up in an illicit gambling ring, run by New York organized crime.  The scandal involved players from six other schools, including Adolph Rupp’s 1951 NCAA champions from the University of Kentucky.  In my eyes, UNC just got one national championship closer to the Wildcats.

Leave It: Harvard Man (2001)

Poor Ray Allen.  How did he get caught up in this mess?  Sarah Michelle Gellar plays a cheerleader from Boston College who gets her Harvard point guard boyfriend (Adrian Grenier) involved with her mob-boss father’s gambling ring.  Even for the Ivy League, Grenier isn’t athletic enough to pull this off.

Documentary:  Skywalker: The David Thompson Story (2004)

One of the greatest college players of all time deserves a great documentary.  I can’t stress enough how ridiculously talented David Thompson was.  Michael Jordan credits Thompson with sparking the public’s interest in a player’s vertical leaping ability.  When watching Skywalker highlights, keep in mind that he played in an era where the dunk was outlawed.  What a waste.

Professional:

Classic:  Space Jam (1996)

I’m calling this a “professional basketball” movie for a few reasons: (1) there really aren’t very many pro basketball movies, (2) I’m not prepared to put Semi-Pro in this spot yet, and (3) you could form a dynamite all-star team with the NBA players who make appearances.  In honor of the Mixtape Monster, I threw in this clip of the Monstars getting nasty on the toon squad.

Check It: Slam Dunk Ernest (1995)

Don’t look at me like that.  This movie is beyond ridiculous.  Ernest receives a pair of magical shoes from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and then he…you know what, just watch the clip.

Leave It:  The Cookout (2004)

One of the characters in this movie called it the story of the “Black Beverly Hillbillies.”  When fictional player Todd Anderson signs a $30 million contract with the New Jersey Nets, he decides to throw a family cookout.  Watch as the kooky characters and hanger-ons (including Ja Rule) come out of the woodwork to take advantage of his newfound fame and fortune.  As offensively stereotypical as anything Tyler Perry has done.

Documentary: Michael Jordan to the Max (2000)

A film dedicated to the true GOAT, Michael Jordan to the Max focuses on the Bulls’ 1998 championship season.  I remember seeing this in IMAX back when it came out, but it’s equally enrapturing on the small screen.

Street Ball:

Classic:  He Got Game (1998)

Timeless Spike Lee Joint about a convicted criminal (Denzel Washington) trying to reconnect with his superstar son (Ray Allen).  The basketball scenes are good, even with Denzel’s janked-up shot form.  Ray Allen manages to hold his own.

Check It:  Rebound (1996)

No, no, not the Martin Lawrence kids’ movie, but rather the story of Earl “The Goat” Manigault, a Harlem playground legend who lost his chance at stardom because of drug addiction.  Don Cheadle isn’t the most athletic actor, but manages to pull it off.  I tell people about his movie all the time because I watch it every other month or so.

Leave It:  Like Mike 2: Streetball (2006)

Here is an actual quote I found about this movie: “Jascha Washington, taking over from rapper Bow Wow, is likable and the new story is actually more believable than the original.”  Seriously?!?  A story about a second young boy finding a magical pair of shoes that belonged to Michael Jordan is more believable than the story about the first boy who found a magical pair of shoes that belonged to Michael Jordan?  Maybe it’s because this one co-stars Kel Mitchell (I found him!) as a bumbling ballplayer.

Documentary:  On Hallowed Ground: Streetball Champions of Rucker Park (2000)

TNT documentary about the world-famous Rucker Park and the countless legends that have played there.  The film follows the team sponsored by Bad Boy Records at the renowned Entertainer’s Basketball Classic.

Globetrotters:

Classic:  Go, Man, Go! (1954)

This film tells the story of the Harlem Globetrotters, from their creation in 1927 until they began playing outgunned all-white teams like the Washington Generals in 1953.  Sidney Poitier plays an assistant coach.

Check It:  Scooby-Doo Meets the Globetrotters (1972)

Classic basketball entertainers meet classic American Saturday-morning cartoon.  Just ignore the firestorm of criticism these short movies receive from dedicated viewers.  You don’t wanna be like those people anyway.

Leave It:  Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island (1981)

Do you really need to see the Globetrotters defeat a team of basketball robots in order to save a group of hapless castaways?  I didn’t think so.  Chick Hearn makes an appearance at least.

Documentary:  The Harlem Globetrotters: The Team That Changed the World (2005)

Another must-see documentary.  This film sports a gaudy list of celebrity interviews that touts Bill Cosby, Barack Obama, Chuck D., Bill Bradley, and Henry Kissinger.  HENRY KISSINGER!  He’s an honorary Globetrotter.  Knowledge is power.

***Questions? Suggestions? Hate mail? Big Soda can be reached at bigsoda@themixtapemonster.com***

The Mixtape Monster’s Top 10 Michael Jordan Commercials

Okay, so before I get this countdown underway, I have to give credit to where credit is due. The idea for this post came from my main man Stonewall Jackson. However, the rankings come from the Monster himself. I’ve spent months…okay days…..okay, a couple of hours agonizing over this list. There are literally like 100 MJ commercials out there so this was no easy task. I’ve taken into account the product, the message, and the man in these commercials and I think I’ve got a pretty good list here. Feel free to agree, disagree, rant and rave in the comments, as I expect this to be a decently popular post.

10. Michael and Mr. Jordan rock the Hanes

This is a pretty corny commercial, but I decided to put it into the countdown at number 10. We all know how important MJ’s Dad was to him, and losing him was def a tragedy. With the exception of the famous clip after winning the championship of him and his father, this is the only time I can really think of that they appeared on camera together. It was cool that he brought someone that was so important to him into his commercialized world. I really hope MJ wasn’t rocking those red briefs at any time though, those are heinous. More suited for….I don’t know….Kevin Bacon (don’t worry, you won’t be seeing THAT commercial in this countdown).

9. The Michael Jordan Jammer

This might be the crappiest product that MJ ever hocked. Look at the quality of this goal, it’s almost laughable. The commercial is quite corny too. I also like how the ball that the kid has isn’t anywhere near the size of even a youth basketball. This commercial made the countdown for one reason, and one reason only……if I was like 7 and saw this…..I’d be begging the Mom Dukes to cop me one. Who doesn’t wanna jam like Jordan?!

8. MJ vs. Mia

This commercial aired at the height of Mia Hamm’s stardom and popularity, and probably the height of womens soccer’s popularity too. The two former TarHeels (gotta get that in there, Go Heels!) go at it in various sports. You have to love MJ playing soccer. The body slam by Hamm at the end is also priceless. A great marketing idea by Gatorade to appeal to a variety of demographics, as well as just a cool visual. You’ll see another “1 on 1″ type commercial further up in this countdown.

7. “Banned”

The commercial for the first pair of Air Jordan shoes. This is what essentially catapulted the Air Jordan shoe to legendary status. The shoes were actually banned by the NBA at first, because they weren’t white (can’t be scuffing up those floors!), and MJ was fined for every game he wore them. Of course, Nike picked up the tab on these fines. However, the way this commercial was framed really made it seem like these shoes were going to make you a better basketballer, and the public ate it up. This commercial was essential to include in the countdown.

6. The 100 foot Dunk

The idea and premise for this commercial has been copied in countless commercials, photographs, and more ever since. People assumed Jordan could dunk on anything, and this commercial went out to prove it. I love how he glides up, almost as if climbing on “air stairs”. Not to mention this commercial aired (as you can see from his feet) around the time that the Air Jordan XI’s came out, which happen to be my favorite Air Jordan shoe. Shortly after this commercial came “Space Jam” and the last play in that movie is shockingly similar to this commercial. Coincidence? I’ll let you decide.

5. MJ vs. Larry Legend

This might be the most famous McDonald’s commercial of all time. Larry vs. MJ in a game of Horse is pretty much something I bet they could sell on Pay-per-view and even today tons of people would buy that. In fact, this commercial is exactly how I would imagine it going down. Great ad.

4. Let Your Game Speak / It’s Not About The Shoes

I’ve grouped these two commercials together for the simple fact that they are AWESOME Jordan commercials that don’t even really feature MJ himself (“It’s Not About The Shoes” does at the end, but he’s only a kid). The Jordan Brand has done an excellent job of staying relevant with the consumer since MJ’s retirement from the game. They constantly challange the consumer to “Become Legendary” or to be the “next” Michael Jordan. After all, that’s really what every basketball playing child and fan really dreams about, right?  I LOVE the “Let Your Game Speak” commercial. Every Jordan fan can watch this and tell you where those moves come from, even specific to the game. The commercial embodies what thousands of kids on blacktops pretend to do everyday….do the same moves as MJ. A great idea, and well filmed. I also love the music on both of these. The “It’s Not About the Shoes” commercial is awesome because it shows some of your favorite athletes in their younger days, aspiring to become legendary like their idol. You gotta love the smile on Carmelo’s face after the Oak Hill Jam as well as Rip Hamilton on people’s shoulders after a big game.

3. MJ – 23 vs. 39

This is one of my favorite commercials of all time, hands down. An excellent visual effects simulation. Perhaps the most impressive of any MJ commercial. The thought of an older Jordan schooling his younger self is incredible. Not to mention when college MJ shows up to call next.

2. Be Like Mike

This commercial put Gatorade on the map right here. I remember being a kid and singing the song all day. If you don’t think this is one of the Top 3 Jordan commercials of all time, you are insane and need to be committed. Comment and I’ll be sure to send you to the proper authorities.

1. All The Spike Lee Joints

Cop out? Maybe….You try picking just one.