Was Michael Jordan in Home Alone?

It’s that time of the year again. Just days away from Christmas, a lot of us are now checking whether our favorite streaming service has Home Alone in its repository. The 1990 movie is still the go-to Christmas film for many Americans, a fond memory from their childhood.

A lot of us, NBA fans, can vaguely remember seeing Michael Jordan in the movie. But on careful introspection, it becomes difficult to place Jordan in the plot of the movie. MJ was at the peak of his NBA superstardom during the release of the film. So his cameo in it shouldn’t be surprising, especially since the McCallisters resided in Chicago in the movie.

So did Michael Jordan play a role in Home Alone? The simple answer is NO, Michael Jordan was not in Home Alone. But we do see him in the movie, or his cardboard cut-out at least.

Kevin McCallister, the child protagonist of the film(played by Macaulay Culkin), used a life-sized Michael Jordan cardboard cut-out, along with other props, to fool the two goons outside his house. He orchestrated a puppet-show with the cardboard figures to make it look like the house is filled with people-looking in from the outside.

Incidentally, Jordan’s infamous rival, Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas, also made an appearance in the movie in the form of a poster hanging on the wall.

Michael Jordan in movies

In 2018, Google paid a tribute to Home Alone with a commercial featuring an adult Kevin McCallister. Kevin spent the Christmas alone in the commercial as well but had Google to help him get through the day.

However, the Michael Jordan cardboard cut-out was replaced by the Golden State Warriors this time.

While Jordan only had a two-dimensional presence in Home Alone, he has appeared in a few movies in flesh. The six-time NBA Champion has been in movies like He Got Game and My Wife and Kids. However, the Chicago Bulls legend’s most famous work has been the 1996 classic, Space Jam.