UNC Basketball: The 24th Anniversary of “Space Jam”

On this day in 1996, the movie Space Jam, which starred UNC basketball legend Michael Jordan, was premiered.

Michael Jordan had a legendary basketball career that included multiple stints in the NBA, most notably his initial retirement from the game. In 1993, Jordan decided to call it quits to pursue a career in Major League Baseball, and then proceed to make a comeback to the NBA in 1995.

Warner Bros. decided to create a fictionalized account of what happened during the span of Jordan’s first retirement from the sport of basketball. On this day in 1996, the company released the movie “Space Jam” to the public for the first time.

We’re sure that many of you are familiar with the movie. However, if you haven’t seen it yet (and if you’re a Jordan fan, you should definitely check it out), here’s some details about the film.

In the movie, Jordan is recruited by the Looney Tunes to help them win a basketball game against a group of aliens who aim to enslave them as attractions for a theme park in outer space. The aliens have stolen the talents of some of the games biggest stars at the time (such as Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Shawn Bradley, etc.). It is up to Jordan to not only help the Looney Tunes remain free from the aliens, but to also regain the NBA stars powers back in the process.

Throughout the movie, there are clips of Jordan’s basketball career, ranging from his high school days to his professional career. Clips of his time at Chapel Hill can also be seen during the film, as a young version of Jordan is seen telling his father that he wants to attend the University of North Carolina and help the UNC basketball program win a national championship.

Essentially, the film creates a fictional scenario which leads Jordan back to the world of basketball. Once he successfully helps the Looney Tunes and his fellow NBA standouts, Jordan is ready to return to the court and continue his dominance as the sport’s best player.

In honor of the anniversary of the movie, we suggest that you take some time to watch the below video to further appreciate one of Jordan’s greatest moments.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding Jordan and the UNC basketball program.