Before Michael Jordan made his Hollywood debut alongside the iconic Bugs Bunny in the blockbuster movie Space Jam, the duo starred together in a Super Bowl commercial in 1992 called ‘Hare Jordan’. The hilarious advertisement for Nike’s Air Jordan shoes saw the NBA superstar help Bugs beat some gym bullies in a pickup basketball game.
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The commercial was a smash hit and sparked the idea that eventually wound up becoming Space Jam. The creative decision to pair the basketball icon with the world-famous cartoon character was conceptualized by creative director Jim Riswold. In a 2020 interview with Complex Magazine, Riswold was asked what sparked the idea of pairing Jordan with Bugs Bunny for the Super Bowl commercial.
The veteran advertiser replied, “I couldn’t think of a bigger star to team [Michael Jordan] up with than Bugs Bunny. I grew up a Bugs Bunny nut and I like to say I just did the spot because I wanted to be talking to Bugs Bunny.”
Not only did Jordan star in the commercial, he loved it as well. Recalling a hilarious conversation about the advertisement with the Chicago Bulls superstar, Riswold said,
“I think one of the nicest compliments I ever got from an athlete on a project was from Michael [Jordan], that when he told me that the Air Jordan spot after it ran was a big success, well before the movie, but it was his kid’s favorite commercial that his dad did. And I said, ‘Wow, that’s something since you do about 5,000 commercials a f**king year.'”
Jordan has always been a notoriously difficult man to impress, and stories of him being a relentless taskmaster are endless. For Riswold to blow him away with his idea while living his dream of working with Bugs Bunny was one of the best achievements of his career.
Michael Jordan’s $250 million team-up with Bugs Bunny
At the end of the Hare Jordan commercial, Bugs Bunny tells Michael Jordan,
“This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.”
The prediction was spot on. The following year, Jordan and Bugs Bunny teamed up for another viral commercial, titled ‘Aerospace Jordan.’
The wild success of the two commercials prompted Warner Bros’ executives to propose a movie starring Jordan and the iconic cartoon character. The Bulls superstar initially turned down the offer, citing his basketball career as the reason. The production was shelved in 1993 but was restarted in 1995 when Jordan returned to basketball after his 18-month retirement.
While Jordan signed up to do the movie, he refused to let it affect his preparation for the 1995-96 NBA season. He had Warner Bros. built a state-of-the-art basketball facility for him to practice in Burbank, California when he wasn’t filming. The ‘Jordan Dome’ became the go-to spot for every top NBA player in the 1995 offseason.
Space Jam, starring Jordan and Bugs Bunny, was released in 1996. The movie was made on a budget of $80 million and earned $250.1 million during its box-office run. The film was a commercial and a critical success, and the work Jordan put in working on his game in the Jordan Dome helped him and the Bulls reclaim the NBA title in 1996.
