Mars Blackmon Called MJ After the Knicks Won a Title — and His Voicemail Is Pure Gold

Fifty-three years is a long time to wait. For Spike Lee, it was basically an entire lifetime — he was 16 when the Knicks last won a championship, and now, at 69, he finally saw them hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy after a dominant 4-1 Finals win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Lee, arguably New York’s most famous superfan, didn’t just celebrate courtside or on social media. He did something only he could pull off: He called Michael Jordan, reprising his iconic Mars Blackmon character from the late 1980s Air Jordan commercials.

According to audio shared by the Jordan Brand account on social media, Lee left a voicemail on Jordan’s phone — because, of course, the greatest player ever was too busy to pick up — that sounds like it was ripped straight from 1988.

“Yo Mike, wassup it’s Mars Blackmon. I know it’s been a long time, we haven’t talked in a minute… the New York Knicks are world champions, call me back!”

Lee didn’t confirm whether Jordan ever returned the call. But the voicemail itself became an instant piece of Knicks lore, and by extension, Air Jordan history. The original Mars Blackmon ads — with their tagline “It’s gotta be the shoes!” — helped turn the Air Jordan 4 into a cultural landmark. Nearly four decades later, the callback felt both nostalgic and entirely appropriate.

Lee and Jordan have remained close over the years, despite their obvious allegiance to rival teams. Jordan famously tortured the Knicks during his Bulls career, but the bond they forged through those ad campaigns — which ran from 1988 into the early 90s — has clearly outlasted any playoff grudge.

The Knicks went 16-3 during this postseason run, steamrolling the competition in a way that even the franchise’s most optimistic fans probably didn’t see coming. For Lee, the win was deeply personal. He’s been a fixture at Madison Square Garden for decades, often arguing with referees from his baseline seat, and his reaction after the Game 5 clincher in San Antonio was widely shared online.

“Your Knicks brought home the hardware,” the @NBA_NewYork account tweeted alongside a video of Lee celebrating.

Whether or not Jordan ever listens to that voicemail — and whether or not he calls back — the moment stands as a perfect capstone to a championship run that felt like it might never come. For Spike Lee, Mars Blackmon finally got his ring.