An ode to Michael Jordan, in a picture

I can’t stop looking at this still.

This fantastic photo has been taken seconds before one of his most iconic shots, the one that gave Chicago Bulls the victory in ’98 NBA finals at Salt Lake City.

Pay attention at the way Jordan transfigured himself in the moment that mattered the most. He’s no longer human. He has become a wild animal, his whole body tense in changing direction, a powerful pose none of us would be able to replicate. The tongue out makes him even more beast-like. He’s unstoppable.

Look at Bryon Demetrise Russell in contrast. He is good defender indeed, one respected player. Now, he’s just performing a diagonal running. Nothing says “human” like a diagonal run: we can run like he was running. He’s a top player but seems clumsy in contrast with Michael. Look at his eyes as well. Generically focused, as the eyes of a human being. He knows that’s a crucial moment but hey, he’s just doing his best. He’s one of us. We are all doing or best, but we are not becoming Gods.

He doesn’t stand a chance. He’s a man that was asked the impervious task to stop a panther. He can rewind time as many times he fancies, he will keep losing eventually. Falling repeatedly.

I have yet to see a photo of any of the actual NBA superstars that is so awe inspiring, and that’s why — as the years passes — I am convinced it’s unlikely that anyone, despite the stats, will ever match the peaks reached by the almighty Michael Jeffrey Jordan.