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 and Julie Rotblatt-Amrany that has been located inside the United Center in the Near West Sidecommunity 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 member Michael Jordan and unveiled outside the United Center on November 1, 1994, the 12-foot (3.7 m) sculpture stands atop a 5-foot (1.52 m) 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.
Base of statue (right side) at the United Center chronicling Jordan's career achievements.
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.[7] 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.[4] The 2,000-pound (910 kg) sculpture, which is 12 feet (3.7 m) 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.[3] The sculpture has led to a lot of similar work for the couple.[4]
The sculpture's official address is United Center, 1901 W. Madison Street.[8] Officially named The Spirit,[9] it is located inside the United Center (Gate 4).[10] The United Center opened on August 18, 1994.[10] 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 1988 NBA All-Star Game slam-dunk contest at Chicago Stadium and his jumpman logo that has been on Jordan branded Nike products since the 1980s.[11] Jordan is depicted doing a right-handed slam dunk over two opponents while jumping right-to-left in the eastward facing statue giving him a southbound trajectory.[9] Prior to the beginning of each basketball season, the sculpture gets touched up.[12]
The sculpture was installed on October 31[4] and unveiled on November 1, 1994, in front of a national audience by Jordan, Reinsdorf and Larry King. Jordan's jersey number was retired during the ceremony.[3] Only Jordan's knee is attached to the base via a triple-steel post.[3][4] A stationary basketball hoop was almost part of the sculpture too.[4] The sculpture, which is hollow, was designed to withstand the natural elements.[4] After his second retirement following the 1997–98 NBA season, the following quote from the 1992 filmA 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."[3]
Relocation
In 2012 and 2014, various plans were floated for the parking lot east of the United Center.[13][14] On January 22, 2015, the Bulls announced plans to move the statue to a planned atrium, while statues of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita were to remain outside the United Center.[15] Construction commenced in mid-2015.[16] On March 1, 2017, there was a ceremonial celebration for the opening of the 190,000-square-foot (18,000 m2) 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 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and later on event days.[17][18]
Reception and legacy
Some complain that the sculpture does not depict Jordan's well-known open-mouthed tongue wag.[19]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.[9] Following the Bulls' second three-peat after Jordan's return, the statue became a sports mecca for fans to gather and take photographs.[20]ESPN The Magazine listed the sculpture as one of the ten greatest sports photo opportunities in 1998.[21]
In 1994, 55 (originally planned for 123 pieces) 28-inch (71.1 cm) bronze maquettes of the sculpture on 6-inch (15.2 cm) granite bases were produced by the Rotblatt-Amranys and sold at $10,000 ($19,996 in 2023 dollars)[22] each as a fundraiser for the James Jordan Boys & Girls Club.[7][23] The TNT 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.[24][25]
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