There aren't many times that a sports star has genuinely saved the world from invading aliens by winning a basketball match but 21 years ago, that's exactly what Michael Jordan did during an event that would come to be known as Space Jam!
Michael Jordan is regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time. It's no surprise really when you consider that he is a six time NBA champion and six time finals MVP.
The legendary Chicago Bulls player was even able to take a couple of year sabbatical from the game to try his arm at baseball but even the impressive record after his comeback is not what stands him above all others.
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No, the reason that Jordan is head and shoulders above anyone else, probably in sport, is the day he stopped aliens from taking over the planet with his skills on the court back in 1996.
For those of you who are a bit younger you might not be aware but back then, not long after England had actually got to the semi-finals of an international tournament, the world was invaded by aliens.
The aliens in question were big basketball fans and stole the talents of NBA stars Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and Muggsy Bogues.
Fortunately Jordan was still playing baseball at the time so went unharmed. When the world was under threat from the basketball playing 'Monstars,' seems somewhat implausible but this really all did happen, Jordan stepped back onto the court to defeat them.
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Helped by infamous comedy actor Bill Murray the former shooting guard teamed up with obvious real names Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Taz, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Tweety, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepe le Pew and Lola Bunny (not a relation of Bugs) to defeat the Monstars.
Due to the contract signed before the match Jordan's last second winning dunk means that the earth is saved and the other basketball players have their talents returned.
Incredibly the Monstars had actually held a 66-18 lead at half-time and Jordan had seen many of his teammates leave the court due to injury because of the opposition's questionable tactics. Quite frankly it was a captain's performance that multiplied Roy Keane in Turin in 99 with Steven Gerrard in Istanbul in 2005.
Honestly there's a lot of stories of the wonderful things that sports people do for charity and the like but can any of the others really have claimed to have saved everyone using their talents?
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Jordan would return to basketball due to the realisation that if he could save the world with the sport then he was better off competing in that than baseball.
Some have suggested that LeBron James could pull off a similar feat but until it happens we couldn't possibly know.
So here's to Space Jam the greatest story ever in sport...
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Basketball, NBA, Movie