Michael Jordan Got Back in Shape Using the Space Jam Movie

By Jasper Doris - 12/20/21

Many know that Michael Jordan took some time off from his NBA career to play baseball. However, after his return to the NBA in 1995, MJ also made it to the big screen by playing basketball with the Looney Tunes.

Michael Jordan in Space Jam — Michael Jordan Got Back in Shape Using the Space Jam Movie

A Win-Win Opportunity for Michael Jordan

Filming the movie Space Jam was how Jordan was able to get back into shape and continue his basketball career. Back in 1992, Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny were in a Nike commercial together where they both showed strong chemistry.

While Warner Bros. wanted to reboot the Looney Tunes franchise, MJ’s agent saw great branding opportunities. In the film, MJ plays himself as he builds his profile and showcases some of his products, like his famous Air Jordan 11s.

Once the time came to shoot the movie, Jordan sent out a request for WB to provide him with a place to train while working on set. Warner Bros. ended up building a full-size Space Jam training dom — which, at the time, was also called the “Jordan-Dome.”

Training Every Chance He Got

Inside the gym, there was a full-size court, a weight room, and anything else he would possibly need to train and get in shape. Tim Grover was Michael Jordan’s trainer who would help him train for two hours in between his 12-hour filming days.

Jordan & Bugs Bunny in a locker room — Michael Jordan Got Back in Shape Using the Space Jam Movie

Grover and Jordan worked together to get MJ’s body back to a basketball body since he had transformed it into a baseball body prior. This means that he was focusing more on his shoulders and chest.

Jordan would invite his NBA peers onto the Warner Bros. lot to play pick-up games of basketball after filming. Those peers included Dennis Rodman, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, and more.

To get his body back in shape, Michael Jordan found these scrimmages after filming a necessity. He thought that playing against young talent full of energy would help him get his talent back.