Michael Jordan Didn’t Want Idris Elba Portraying Him In A Biopic

Idris Elba is currently one of the most sought after actors in all of Hollywood. Elba is known for his roles in The Wire, Fast & Furious and more. He also wanted to portray Michael Jordan in a biopic, but it didn’t quite work out for MJ.

Michael Jordan is certainly one of the most iconic basketball players to have ever stepped foot inside a basketball court. He is also no stranger to setting records and fans always remember what he did for the sport.

Jordan is still the king when it comes to being the richest NBA star in the history of the sport. He earned more in his business ventures than he did during his time as an active NBA player. His net worth was said to be over $2 billion.

While speaking with Complex, Idris Elba revealed that he wanted to portray Michael Jordan in a biopic. However, Jordan would shut down his request in the end.

“So Jordan had these wicked getaways in the Bahamas, you know what I’m saying? He would invite a bunch of people out. I think me and Gabrielle Union went out, we was promoting a movie, I think it might have been Daddy’s Little Girls and you know, I was gassed to be at Jordan Weekend.”

He admitted to meeting Jordan “once or twice,” but it was “just to say hello. I even said to him one time, ‘I want to play you.’ He was like, ’Hm, I’m not ready yet.’… I was dead serious.

In my head, playing Jordan wouldn’t be about playing the basketball player, it was about the businessman. He is a very astute businessman, really smart. And his work as a philanthropist is unspoken, but people don’t understand the work. He cares, he does a lot of work. So that’s where I was hinting at. I wanna play Jordan, I’m doing that. He was like, ‘I’m not ready for that story yet.’”

Idris Elba also doesn’t understand why people find him sexy. No one is really sure when Jordan will be ready for a biopic. Regardless, we’ll have to see who will end up portraying him when it does happen.

What’s your take on this conversation? Sound off in the comments!