Why didn't Michael Jordan do Space Jam sequel despite $1,000,000,000+ in merchandise sales? Looking at his reasoning

Aside from being one of the greatest basketball players ever, Michael Jordan has also graced the world of movies. Despite his first venture being a massive success, the NBA icon turned down a sequel.

November 15th marked the 28th anniversary of the release of "Space Jam." MJ ended up being a box office hit alongside the Looney Tunes, as the film grossed over a billion dollars in merchandise. However, when the idea of a sequel was tossed around, Jordan politely declined.

Reports confirm that Michael Jordan turned down a second Space Jam movie, but a reason is not specified. That said, the speculation is that he didn't want to do another film to focus on his second run in the NBA.

At the time the movie hit theaters, Jordan was in the midst of his first full season with the Bulls since coming back from retirement. They'd go on to dominate the league, setting a record with 72 wins in the regular season (which was later broken by the Warriors in 2016). Chicago would end up winning the championship that year, sparking what would be their second three-peat.

Jordan ended up retiring again in 1998 after winning a sixth championship with the Bulls. He'd end up returning again in 2001 to spend two years with the Washington Wizards before walking away for good.

With Jordan out, the Space Jam franchise would end up being shelved for years. It eventually made a comeback in 2021 with LeBron James as the star.

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DeMar DeRozan once compared his life to Michael Jordan in Space Jam

As a massive box office hit, Michael Jordan touched a lot of people with his work in "Space Jam." Over two decades later, guys are still able to relate and draw inspiration from the film.

Back in September, DeMar DeRozan sat down with Paul George on his "Podcast P" show to discuss a wide range of topics. Among the things the two All-Stars talked about was basketball always being something that was therapeutic to them.

Looking back on his life, DeRozan said he feels like Michael Jordan in the beginning of Space Jam. The movie starts off with him as a kid in the backyard dreaming about being a pro, then quickly transitions to him with the Bulls.

(22:30) "You know how Space Jam first start," DeRozan said. "When Jordan was a kid, he was playing outside and dribbling and he made a move going to the court and it kind of transition to him playing with the Bulls. That's how I envision basketball when I was a kid."

DeRozan eventually had the chance to play in Jordan's footsteps, spending three seasons with the Bulls. The six-time All-Star put an end to his time in Chicago this summer, opting to join the Sacramento Kings.