Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley starred in every other commercial in the ’90s, but this Nike commercial could have been their best.
As aloof as they are now, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were closest friends during their wedding in the NBA.
Both were from the same draft class from 1984. This class was riddled with other legends of the game such as Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton.
All of these future Hall of Famers along with 80s stars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson made the sport of basketball popular like never before.
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And after the 1992 Summer Olympics, when Team USA dispatched the best NBA squad of all time, the Dream Team, with the best players of the 80s and 90s on a single team, the game’s popularity skyrocketed. Barkley was the top scorer in the Olympics, where Team USA won easily gold.
The Nike ad with the two best players in the NBA
Its increasing popularity brought a multitude of commercials and endorsements for the stars in the NBA. And Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were some of the hottest merchandise in the league back then. Not only on the pitch, but also as public figures because of their larger-than-life personalities. Both have been a constant eye catcher in commercials and advertisements.
After their 1993 finals meeting, that season’s MVP – Barkley and the Finals MVP – Jordan – were in a Nike commercial together.
When the then 3-time champion decided to take some time off and play baseball, Barkley saw Jordan on that commercial asking him if Jordan could dive into his shoes like him and called him ‘Mr. I’m not playing anymore’.
While the legend of the Bulls was out of the league, Nike may have a new star on their mind when they gave the Suns MVP its own shoe deal. But that opportunity was taken by Hakeem Olajuwon, who won the championship in both years while Jordan was absent.
It wasn’t long before Jordan made a comeback and regained his throne as the best player in the league. He took it with authority as he triple the championship with the Bulls again, just half the season after coming back.
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Though Chuck and Mike’s friendship ended long ago, this brief commercial can always take them back to those happy old days.
The post “Hey Mr. I-Don’t-Play-Basketball-Nymore”: When Charles Barkley poked fun at Michael Jordan in a Nike commercial on national television first appeared on monter-une-startup.
