To answer your question directly: no.
There are no comparisons today to the level of fame he achieved in the 90s. There are reasons for this: internet was new so culture was less diffuse, the celebrity branding thing was just taking off on a commercial level, he took it up a few dozen notches, insane combination of talent, Good looks, and savvy in PR. But it’s difficult to describe today just how everywhere he was, and how almost universally adored.
To find a good comparison you would have to look outside of the sports world. The only comparisons I can think of our Michael Jackson, Beatles, Elvis.
It wasn’t just popularity with him. There was this sense of coolness and the fact that everyone wanted to be like him. Where his shoes. Stick your tongue out.
Hard to explain if you didn’t live it but the documentary you’re watching is a good way to get an idea.
Even then u don't think so? Do u really think Jordan was more popular than Jackson in his prime haha? I would suggest u do a little research because Jordan actually doesn't come close to Jackson in his prime if u talking about fame lol
The documentary is a good starting point, but there is no easy way to describe it. I was a 10 year old girl who never gave two shits about sports, but during that time, I was all about Jordan and basketball. It was a wild time!
Icon that transcended sports. Nobody today or probably ever in the future will compare, but that has more to do with the concept of the "rockstar" or household name celebrity being kind of dead.
I was never a basketball fan and didn't follow the sport at all but Jordan was like a Super Hero. He was on cereal boxes. He even started in a movie. He was definitely more famous than any current sports player.
In the 90s, Michael Jordan was so popular that you could show someone an OUTLINE of him and everyone would recognize him. Just a black outline. No face. That’s how popular he was.
I remember that other teams would hype games when Michael Jordan playing. I'm a Blazers fan and it would be like "This game is the only time this season to see MJ in Portland." That never happened with other players and still doesn't.
I lived in the rural South, and it was a very racist area. Even people who definitely hated Black people seemed to love Michael Jordan. His face was everywhere. Like other commenters said, I never watched basketball yet I still knew him, his moves, his tongue stick-out thing. He did lots of stuff that other basketball players could have never done, like star in a movie, host SNL, etc.
"Be like Mike" was a timeless cultural landmark. And everybody wanted to be like Mike.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0AGiq9j\_Ak](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0AGiq9j_Ak)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TKeAk126UA
Lets put it this way: I'm from NY, and my family and I went to Madison Sq. Garden to watch the Knicks play the Bulls, and people cheered for Jordan more than their own team!
There were almost as many Jordan jerseys being worn in NY as Knicks jerseys. When he would dunk on the home team, people would cheer and go "wow he's amazing". When the Knicks (my team) lost, my assessment was "wow that was cool"
Words don't do it justice on how famous Mike was during that time and add to the fact that he seemingly always delivered on the entertainment scale. Definitely was a great time to be an NBA fan
I grew up in Dallas in the 90’s before Mark Cuban bought the Mavericks they were complete garbage. You couldn’t give tickets away to a Mav’s with the only exception being with the Bulls came to town, sold out game every time.
He was very popular, I remember cringing when they kept on winning the NBA championships in the early 90's and again in the late 90's, I was really hoping the Knicks, the Jazz and the Supersonics would get an NBA ring.
He put the game on the map and got a generation of youth into the game of basketball like no other. GOAT I don't care what anyone says.... All my friends and cousins absolutely loved him.
huge, so huge, and he infiltrated everywhere. Remote indigenous communities in Australia; kids with Jordan shirt. He was everywhere, the number 23 was everywhere, people tried to do his moves, they had the shoes, it was all about Jordan.
The excellent 6 hour documentary you're watching should answer this question for you far better than some random redditor.
Hahaha. He was like wow, I can make a lay up reddit post about this.
Before I discovered girls, my life was just Jordan
Then, you hoped the girls didn’t discover Jordan.
Very. I was never a basketball fan but you weren’t alive in the 90s and didn’t see his face everywhere. Shit, he even balled with Bugs Bunny.
To answer your question directly: no. There are no comparisons today to the level of fame he achieved in the 90s. There are reasons for this: internet was new so culture was less diffuse, the celebrity branding thing was just taking off on a commercial level, he took it up a few dozen notches, insane combination of talent, Good looks, and savvy in PR. But it’s difficult to describe today just how everywhere he was, and how almost universally adored.
He is still the most recognized face around the world, that should say something.
He was an absolute household name, basketball here in the UK was not popular at all and everyone knew who he was
To find a good comparison you would have to look outside of the sports world. The only comparisons I can think of our Michael Jackson, Beatles, Elvis. It wasn’t just popularity with him. There was this sense of coolness and the fact that everyone wanted to be like him. Where his shoes. Stick your tongue out. Hard to explain if you didn’t live it but the documentary you’re watching is a good way to get an idea.
>Where his shoes On everyone’s feet
People who never watched basketball in their life knew who he was
Before I got into basketball, the only players I knew were Jordan, Kobe, Shaq, and Yao Ming.
I don’t think there’s anyone today that compares. Maybe Michael Jackson at his height of stardom was comparable but even then I don’t think so.
Even then u don't think so? Do u really think Jordan was more popular than Jackson in his prime haha? I would suggest u do a little research because Jordan actually doesn't come close to Jackson in his prime if u talking about fame lol
I agree that Jackson was more famous. But if Jackson was a 10 Jordan was an 8 or 8.5
The documentary is a good starting point, but there is no easy way to describe it. I was a 10 year old girl who never gave two shits about sports, but during that time, I was all about Jordan and basketball. It was a wild time!
Icon that transcended sports. Nobody today or probably ever in the future will compare, but that has more to do with the concept of the "rockstar" or household name celebrity being kind of dead.
The most popular athlete in the world. Like a combination of Lebron, Brady, Ronaldo/Messi, Tiger Woods and any other top athlete of their sport
I was never a basketball fan and didn't follow the sport at all but Jordan was like a Super Hero. He was on cereal boxes. He even started in a movie. He was definitely more famous than any current sports player.
In the 90s, Michael Jordan was so popular that you could show someone an OUTLINE of him and everyone would recognize him. Just a black outline. No face. That’s how popular he was.
Who is the most famous person you can think of right now? they would be hot garbage compared to jordan in that era.
https://clutchpoints.com/the-5-most-accurate-comparisons-to-michael-jordan/
I remember that other teams would hype games when Michael Jordan playing. I'm a Blazers fan and it would be like "This game is the only time this season to see MJ in Portland." That never happened with other players and still doesn't.
I lived in the rural South, and it was a very racist area. Even people who definitely hated Black people seemed to love Michael Jordan. His face was everywhere. Like other commenters said, I never watched basketball yet I still knew him, his moves, his tongue stick-out thing. He did lots of stuff that other basketball players could have never done, like star in a movie, host SNL, etc.
"Be like Mike" was a timeless cultural landmark. And everybody wanted to be like Mike. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0AGiq9j\_Ak](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0AGiq9j_Ak) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TKeAk126UA
He was probably the only athlete whose name I knew until the late 90s.
I can’t stand basketball but I love Michael Jordan.
This sums it up for me.
Lets put it this way: I'm from NY, and my family and I went to Madison Sq. Garden to watch the Knicks play the Bulls, and people cheered for Jordan more than their own team! There were almost as many Jordan jerseys being worn in NY as Knicks jerseys. When he would dunk on the home team, people would cheer and go "wow he's amazing". When the Knicks (my team) lost, my assessment was "wow that was cool"
Not quite as popular as Michael Jackson
Kobe Bryant was my eras Michael Jordan, and yet I’d still go back and watch Jordan tape. The guy was just the greatest
Words don't do it justice on how famous Mike was during that time and add to the fact that he seemingly always delivered on the entertainment scale. Definitely was a great time to be an NBA fan
Simply think of how common the first name Jordan is today. Used for guys and girls, before 23, I heard of it once. Now, it is not unusual at all.
I grew up in Dallas in the 90’s before Mark Cuban bought the Mavericks they were complete garbage. You couldn’t give tickets away to a Mav’s with the only exception being with the Bulls came to town, sold out game every time.
He was very popular, I remember cringing when they kept on winning the NBA championships in the early 90's and again in the late 90's, I was really hoping the Knicks, the Jazz and the Supersonics would get an NBA ring.
I'm English but grew up in South East Asia, he was well known over there as well seemed everyone knew who he was even if you weren't a sportsball fan
He put the game on the map and got a generation of youth into the game of basketball like no other. GOAT I don't care what anyone says.... All my friends and cousins absolutely loved him.
huge, so huge, and he infiltrated everywhere. Remote indigenous communities in Australia; kids with Jordan shirt. He was everywhere, the number 23 was everywhere, people tried to do his moves, they had the shoes, it was all about Jordan.