The iconic 1988 Air Jordan commercial ‘Hang Time’ features Spike Lee’s character Mars Blackmon sitting on Michael Jordan’s shoulder, gripping the rim. MJ then walks away slyly, leaving Lee suspended in midair, only to be dunked on a few seconds later.
In a funny twist, Lee later revealed that MJ dunked with increased intensity during the shoot in response to something provoking the filmmaker had done beforehand.
“I’m hanging on the rim, and the first time he tried to dunk, I blocked him. So, the next eight takes, he threw it down harder each time. I had a bruised chest by the time we finished that day,” Lee recounted during an NBA game broadcast.
Iconic team-up
When news of a commercial with Jordan and Lee surfaced, expectations soared due to their mastery in their respective fields.
During that time, MJ’s success story was reaching new heights. In 1988 alone, the Chicago Bulls legend secured the MVP, DPOY, All-Star Game MVP, and Slam Dunk Contest trophy. Off the court, his Air Jordan sneaker line, debuting in April 1985, saw similar triumphs.
Back then, there was a widespread belief that wearing Jordan’s shoes could lead to MJ-like dominance on the court—a notion illustrated by a fictional character Lee introduced in his 1986 directorial debut.
The movie ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ featured Mars Blackmon, an early sneakerhead passionate about Air Jordans. This alignment strongly hinted at a potential Lee-MJ collaboration. However, the brand responsible for Air Jordans, Nike, initially didn’t’ share this view.
“They weren’t so keen on it. But Mike saw the movie and loved it; he went back to Nike and said, ‘Do it.’ We didn’t do it the first year because of our schedule conflict, but we finally did it in December,” said Lee.
Lee and MJ’s winning formula
The commercial instantly became a hit and continues to be recognized as a classic today, largely due to the genuine portrayal of both Jordan and Lee.
For the first time, Nike showcased the true essence of MJ, a fiercely competitive athlete who let his game speak for itself without relying on words. The introduction of humor, skillfully conveyed by Lee and his character Blackmon, also added a fresh element to Air Jordan commercials.
This perfect blend became evident in other iconic ads such as ‘Is it the shoes?’, ‘Can/Can’t’ and the retirement commercial, resulting in a win-win situation for both parties involved.
Lee, an avid New York Knicks supporter, gained nationwide exposure as an emerging director. In return, Air Jordan sales reached remarkable heights, remaining extremely popular to this day.
The brand’s tremendous growth and widespread appeal can be perfectly illustrated by the fact that Spike’s initial payment for his role in the first Air Jordan shoot reportedly was a respectable $50,000. Fast forward to 2022, and Air Jordan has achieved an astonishing revenue of $5.1 billion.
