The statue of Michael Jordan, also known as ''The Spirit'' (and sometimes referred to as ''Michael Jordan's Spirit''), is a bronze sculpture by
Omri Amrany
Omri Amrany (born 23 May 1954) is an Israeli-American best known as a sculptor and painter, though he also works in architecture and wall tapestry art. Philosophically a humanist, the human figure is his main subject matter. He is co-fou ...
and
Julie Rotblatt-Amrany
Julie Rotblatt-Amrany (born July 23, 1958) is an American sculptor and painter whose work explores the resurgence of the figure in modern art.
Works
* '' The Spirit: Michael Jordan'', heroic sculpture
* ''Healing Energy'' (painting)
* ''Pet ...
that has been located inside the
United Center
United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey L ...
in the
Near West Side community area of Chicago since March 1, 2017. The sculpture was originally commissioned after Jordan's initial retirement following three consecutive NBA championships and unveiled prior to the Bulls taking residence in their new home stadium the following year. Depicting
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and prese ...
member
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
and unveiled outside the United Center on November 1, 1994, the sculpture stands atop a
black granite base. Although not critically well received, the statue has established its own legacy as a meeting place for fans at subsequent Bulls championships and as a rallying point for
Chicago Blackhawks fans during their prideful times.
History
Background
Michael Jordan had spent his entire career with the Chicago Bulls since being drafted in the
1984 NBA Draft
The 1984 NBA draft was the 37th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was held at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on June 19, 1984, before the 1984–85 season. The draft is generally c ...
by the team with the third overall selection. Eventually, he led the Bulls to three consecutive championships in the
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Ph ...
,
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
and
1993 NBA Finals
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992–93 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. It featured the two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and ...
. During each of these championship seasons he was an
NBA All-Star
The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of a ...
,
NBA scoring champion,
All-NBA Team
The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...
first team selection,
NBA All-Defensive Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...
first team selection, and the
NBA Finals MVP
The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award (formerly known as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award is decided by a panel of e ...
.
After Jordan retired following the
1992–93 NBA season
Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 ''Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since the ...
,
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...
owner
Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry Michael Reinsdorf (born February 25, 1936) is the owner of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and MLB's Chicago White Sox. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service. He has been the owner of the White Sox ...
sought a sculptor to honor Jordan and requested that Chicago Bulls Vice President Steve Schanwald seek proposals from artists.
[ Twelve artists made proposals.] In January 1994, Schanwald hired Omri and Julie Rotblatt-Amrany of Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park is a suburban city located in the southeastern part of Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located ...
, who erected a statue at the Bulls' new home for the 1994–95 NBA season, the United Center
United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey L ...
. Until 1994 when they both moved, the Bulls and Blackhawks had played at Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois, that opened in 1929, closed in 1994 and was demolished in 1995. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls ...
.
Creation and installation
While the sculpture was a work in progress, the location of the sculptor's rented studio was kept secret from the rest of the world, while the husband-and-wife sculptor team and three assistants spent four months working for sixteen hours every day of the week. The process involved two sittings with Jordan for measurements and photos, including one in which the clay version had to be driven from Chicago to Nashville, to ensure the accuracy of the clay likeness.[ The sculpture, which is tall, rests on a 5-foot high black granite base that has an inscription reading "The best there ever was. The best there ever will be." The base also includes a list of his accomplishments. The bronze statue used ]lost-wax casting
Lost-wax casting (also called "investment casting", "precision casting", or ''cire perdue'' which has been adopted into English from the French, ) is the process by which a duplicate metal sculpture (often silver, gold, brass, or bronze) i ...
.[ The sculpture has led to a lot of similar work for the couple.][
The sculpture's official address is United Center, 1901 W. Madison Street. Officially named ''The Spirit'',][ it is located inside the United Center (Gate 4).] The United Center opened on August 18, 1994.[ The exact pose of Jordan in midflight is left for artistic interpretation, but speculations include his 63-point performance against Boston in the ]1986 NBA Playoffs
The 1986 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985–86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rock ...
, the 1988 NBA All-Star Game
The 38th National Basketball Association All-Star Game was played on February 7, 1988, at Chicago Stadium in Chicago. The East won the game 138-133 and Michael Jordan (who scored a game-high 40 points) was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuab ...
slam-dunk contest at Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois, that opened in 1929, closed in 1994 and was demolished in 1995. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls ...
and his jumpman logo that has been on Jordan branded Nike products since the 1980s. Jordan is depicted doing a right-handed slam dunk
A slam dunk, also simply known as dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one ...
over two opponents while jumping right-to-left in the eastward facing statue giving him a southbound trajectory. Prior to the beginning of each basketball season, the sculpture gets touched up.
The sculpture was installed on October 31[ and unveiled on November 1, 1994 in front of a national audience by Jordan, Reinsdorf and ]Larry King
Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys, an Emmy and 10 Cable ACE Awards. Over his career, he hosted over 50,000 interviews.
...
. Jordan's jersey number was retired during the ceremony.[ Only Jordan's knee is attached to the base via a triple-steel post.][ A stationary basketball hoop was almost part of the sculpture too.][ The sculpture, which is hollow, was designed to withstand the natural elements.][ After his second retirement following the ]1997–98 NBA season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 19 ...
, the following quote from the 1992 film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
'' A River Runs Through It'' was added to the base: "At that moment I knew, surely and clearly, that I was witnessing perfection. He stood before us, suspended above the earth, free from all its laws like a work of art, and I knew, just as surely and clearly, that life is not a work of art, and that the moment could not last."[
]
Relocation
In 2012 and 2014, various plans were floated for the parking lot east of the United Center. On January 22, 2015, the Bulls announced plans to move the statue to a planned atrium, while statues of Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin Hull OC (born January 3, 1939) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blonde hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot the puck at very high veloc ...
and Stan Mikita
Stanley Mikita (born Stanislav Guoth; May 20, 1940 – August 7, 2018) was a Slovak-born Canadian ice hockey player for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League, generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 2017, he was ...
were to remain outside the United Center. Construction commenced in mid-2015. On March 1, 2017, there was a ceremonial celebration for the opening of the United Center east addition. The statue can be found inside the atrium between the new addition and the original United Center, which is open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM and later on event days.
Reception and legacy
Some complain that the sculpture does not depict Jordan's well-known open-mouthed tongue wag. '' Chicago Tribune'' art critic Alan G. Artner says the inscription at the base that reads "The best there ever was. The best there ever will be." refers only to the subject and not the sculpture.[ Following the Bulls' second three-peat after Jordan's return, the statue became a sports mecca for fans to gather and take photographs. '']ESPN The Magazine
''ESPN The Magazine'' was an American monthly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998. Initially published every other week, it scaled back to 24 issues a year ...
'' listed the sculpture as one of the ten greatest sports photo opportunities in 1998.
In 1994, 55 (originally planned for 123 pieces) bronze maquette
A ''maquette'' (French word for scale model, sometimes referred to by the Italian names ''plastico'' or ''modello'') is a scale model or rough draft of an unfinished sculpture. An equivalent term is ''bozzetto'', from the Italian word for "sketc ...
s of the sculpture on granite bases were produced by the Rotblatt-Amranys and sold at $10,000 ($ in dollars) each as a fundraiser for the James Jordan Boys & Girls Club.[ The ]TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
2-hour broadcast of the original ceremony had also been in part a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club, but some had thought it was overdone and ungraceful.
At times, the statue has been adorned with various Chicago Blackhawks player jerseys. When Denis Savard
Denis Joseph Savard (born February 4, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2017 Savard was named one of ...
's jersey was retired on March 19, 1998, fans put his jersey on the statue, but it was removed one hour later. During the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2010 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2009–10 season, and the culmination of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Western Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks ...
, United Center personnel added an ice hockey helmet
A hockey helmet is worn by players of ice hockey, inline hockey, and bandy to help protect the head from potential injury when hit by the puck, sticks, skates, boards, other players, or the ice. The shell of a hockey helmet is generally made ...
, a Reebok
Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
jersey of captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Jonathan Toews
Jonathan Bryan Toews ( ; born April 29, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Captain Serious", Toews was selected by the Blackhawks with the ...
and Reebok ice skate
Ice skates are metal blades attached underfoot and used to propel the bearer across a sheet of ice while ice skating.
The first ice skates were made from leg bones of horse, ox or deer, and were attached to feet with leather straps. These skates ...
s to the statue. Within 48 hours, the Reebok logos on the ice skates had been covered by Nike stickers. When Chicagoan Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
welcomed the Blackhawks to the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 ...
as President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United St ...
, he made mention of the jersey being placed on the Jordan statue. In May 2011, there was an announcement the Hockey Hall of Fame
, logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg
, logo_upright = 0.5
, image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg
, caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992
, map_type =
, former_name =
, established = 1943
, location = 30 Y ...
rs Stan Mikita
Stanley Mikita (born Stanislav Guoth; May 20, 1940 – August 7, 2018) was a Slovak-born Canadian ice hockey player for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League, generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 2017, he was ...
and Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin Hull OC (born January 3, 1939) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blonde hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot the puck at very high veloc ...
would have statues placed outside of the United Center near Jordan's sometime early during the 2011–12 NHL season
The 2011–12 NHL season was the 95th season of operation (94th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Los Angeles Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final four games to two to win the team's first Stanley ...
.
See also
* List of public art in Chicago
The city of Chicago, Illinois, is home to many notable works of public art
Public art is art in any media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its ow ...
References
{{Portal bar, Chicago, Illinois, Sports, Visual arts
1994 establishments in Illinois
1994 sculptures
Basketball culture
Bronze sculptures in Illinois
Chicago Bulls
Statue
A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...
Monuments and memorials in Illinois
Outdoor sculptures in Chicago
Sculptures of African Americans
Sculptures of men in Illinois
Statues in Chicago
Statues of sportspeople