Video Tapes Like Michael Jordan's "Come Fly With Me" Were The Social Media Of 1980s

Michael Dion Peek | 3 Hours Ago

June 12, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan (23), right, goes up against Utah Jazz player Bryon Russell (3) in Game 5 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY / Anne Ryan-USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Athletes nowadays have plenty of ways to promote themselves.

There are several avenues via social media, including Facebook, X and TikTok. Teams have also gotten involved in helping advertise their products.

It wasn't always this way. Back in the 1980s, there was thing called the video cassette recorder or VCR. Players had video tapes that were sold on television to showcase their highlights. One of the first player to have an individual one was Michael Jordan.

In 1989, the film "Come Fly With Me" was released. Below, we take a look at the video.

WHEN HALL OF FAMER FACED RACISM IN HOMETOWN

Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins had planned to attend North Carolina State out of high school.

He grew up nearly two hours away in Washington, N.C. Things changed when another school entered the picture at the last minute.

"Then the University of Georgia came out of nowhere," Wilkins said during an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast. "So five other high school All-Americans, we all decided to go there together."

The decision led to Wilkins experiencing racism from the locals.

"When I made that decision, all hell broke loose," Wilkins said. "I got all Fs on my transcripts, paint poured on my mom's car and I had a cross burn in my yard."

It only got worse. Wilkins said the entire town turned against him.

"I got arrested the next day," said Wilkins, who spent most of his NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks. "I'm coming out of a store and the gentleman said, `we've got to arrest you. We saw you steal a tape.' I'm like, `Why would I steal a $3 dollar tape? I've got $3,000 in my pocket. You kidding me?'

That was enough for the Wilkins family. After leaving the police station, they left the city behind and never looked back for several years.

"We left at 12 o'clock at night, the whole family," Wilkins said. "I didn't go back for 30 years until my high school coach (Dave Smith) passed."

Michael Dion Peek is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at peektown94@gmail.com

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