Michael Jordan Look Alike Video: Utah Flash Use Jordan Impostor

by Jon Azpiri | December 8, 2009 at 03:26 pm

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Basketball fans who were expecting to see Michael Jordan at a Utah Flash game were bitterly disappointed after a promotion for the Utah Flash went awry. The team promised that Michael Jordan would play a game of one-on-one with former foil Bryon Russell. Instead, the team rolled out a Michael Jordan look alike. Utah Flash owner Brandt Andersen thought having a Michael Jordan impostor would be a fun gag. Fans thought otherwise.

Previously, Andersen offered Michael Jordan and Bryon Russell $100,000 to play a game of one-of-one during halftime of a Utah Flash game. The offer came after Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame speech where MJ called out Russell. Andersen never received a reply from the real Michael Jordan so he decided to hire a Michael Jordan lookalike to walk around Provo, Utah to generate buzz that Jordan was going to appear at the Utah Flash game. Bryon Russell decided to play along as well.

The result: some angry fans. When the Michael Jordan impersonator walked out on the court, many of the 7,500 in attendance walked out of the stadium.

Andersen insists that the Michael Jordan look alike stunt was not intended to dupe fans. Instead, he thought it was an attempt to create a viral marketing campaign.

"We wanted to test the strength and effectiveness of viral media by putting him out in Provo with bodyguards, and some hype," he said. "I always assumed it would be uncovered very quickly that it was a hoax."

Here is the Michael Jordan Look Alike/Impostor video.