INGLEWOOD, CA- JUNE 12: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls talks with Spike Lee during Game Five of the 1991 NBA Finals on June 12, 1991 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1991 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Spike Lee 'Was Completely Surprised' Michael Jordan's Nike Commercial 'Blew Up'

Rob GoldbergMay 4, 2020

Spike Lee starred in and directed one of the most famous shoe commercials in history, but he didn't think it would become as popular as it did.

The 63-year-old discussed the famous Nike ad featuring Michael Jordan Monday on Good Morning America:

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"I was completely surprised when it blew up," Lee said. "It blew up, it changed the culture, and I'm just happy I was a part of it. And it was 100 percent accident."

The commercial featured Lee as Mars Blackmon, a character first created for the movie She's Gotta Have It who wore Air Jordans. It helped established Nike as a key figure in the shoe industry while Jordan continued his rise as a superstar on and off the court.

Sunday's episode of ESPN's The Last Dance discussed Jordan as a cultural phenomenon, mentioning Lee's commercial as a key starting point.