Hoop
January 1997
Celebrity Row
By Dean Cain
Invading Rare Air
"I am not Superman. I just play him on TV. Michael Jordan is not Superman
either. But when he sets foot onto a basketball court, in my opinion, he is
the closest thing to Superman this world has ever seen.
"So it's only fitting that my most memorable basketball achievement came
against 'His Airness.' Michael was in Los Angeles making the movie Space
Jam. There was a huge bubble set up on the Warner Brothers lot with a full-
sized basketball court inside. It quickly became known as the 'Jordan Dome.'
"Every night, there were great games. Michael was there. So were Magic, and
Juwan Howard, Patric Ewing, Reggie Miller and a lot of others. I had been
invited to what had to be some of the greatest pick-up games in history.
"Now, I played football in the NFL, with the Buffalo Bills before retiring
because of a knee injury, and I still consider myself a good athlete. But
inside the jordan Dome, I spent a lot of time getting out of the way before
I got dunked on.
"Except one night. I was on a team with a couple of UCLA players and pros
and we were playing against Michael. We were winning, til Michael got a
little peeved and just took the game over, quickly tying the score. The team
that made the next shot would win. The stage was set.
"What kid hasn't dreamed of beating Michael Jordan in basketball? What adult
hasn't? What senior citizen hasn't? With the game on the line, the
intensity picked up, and Michael began talking a lot of junk. Michael
doesn't like to lose. Even with an assortment of NBA All-Stars on the court
and sidelines, one thing was clear: Michael is 'The Man.'
"I came off a high pick, just behind the college three-point line. 'This is
my shot,' I thought quietly, not expecting anything. But before I knew it,
someone passed me the ball, and I bombed away.
"Time stood still. The ball arced into the lights. My mind began racing:
'If this goes in, Michael has to sit out a game. Oh my God . . .'
"The shot sailed high and true, and though it wasn't a swish, it ratttled
cleanly through the hoop. There was silence. I just stood there. We won.
WE WON! Suddenly, there were a lot of catcalls and jeering from the
sidelines about Superman, etc. And it created a once-in-a-lifetime scene:
Michael Jordan had to vacate the Jordan Dome court because of me.
"As the next game began, Michael called from the sideline with a little smile.
'Every dog has his day,' he said. This was mine.
"I try to attend as many NBA games as possible, mostly with my father, Chris,
a devoted Laker fan. I have become friends with guys like Michael, Magic,
Juwan, Chris Webber, Reggie, Charles Barkley and Shaq. Shaq now wears a
Laker uniform and, coincidentally, has the Superman 'S' tattooed on his arm.
Guess who I'm rooting for?
"But when Chicago comes to town, it will be tough. I think Shaq himself said
it best a couple years back, 'Michael Jordan is Superman. I'm still
Superboy.'
"And like I said, I'm not Superman, but I am in my fourth season of playing
him on Lois and Clark and we have been renewed for a fifth season. If there
is a Superman, it is Michael Jordan every time he steps onto a basketball
court. I'm thinking of giving him the suit."
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