To generations of fans in Chicago and all around the globe, Jordan represented more than greatness and championships. He embodied the dreams of so many. As the NBA All-Star Game descended upon Chicago over the weekend, the game's top stars thought of their own childhoods and striving to be like Mike.
"I needed that inspiration," LeBron James said of Jordan. "Growing up in the inner city, I kind of lost a superhero when he retired. Someone that I kind of needed to help me some way, somehow, even though he didn't know it."
Since Jordan ended his Bulls career with a sixth championship in 1998, his iconic brand has been synonymous with the Second City. He set a standard for Lakers star Anthony Davis, who was born on Chicago's south side; Heat guard Kendrick Nunn, a standout at Simeon High School; and countless more.
In Chicago, basketball isn't just a game.
"There's a culture here," Nunn said of his city.
"There's a legacy we'd like to carry on."
The end of the Bulls' dynasty was more than two decades ago. Jordan's brand remains strong as ever, but Chicago needs new icons for the next generation.
The Bulls landed hometown star Derrick Rose when a 1.7% chance went their way in the 2008 NBA Draft lottery. He became a legend and won the MVP in 2011, but his star faded after suffering the torn ACL in the 2012 playoffs.
Despite his appreciation for Jordan, James chose Miami over Chicago during his 2010 free agency decision. The same went for Richards High School product Dwyane Wade, who spurned his hometown team 10 years ago. Past his prime, he signed with the Bulls in 2016 and was bought out of his contract a year later, a move that underscored the team's troubling direction.
Davis is one of many stars in Los Angeles, and his returns to home are only brief. Jimmy Butler rose to stardom in six seasons with the Bulls before being traded away to begin the organization's rebuild. The superstar now closest to Chicago is Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA's reigning MVP who has lifted the Bucks into a championship contender so long as he calls Milwaukee home.
On All-Star weekend in Chicago, the current Bulls were but a footnote to the festivities. They've gone 68-151 since trading Butler in June 2017.
For all its basketball history, Chicago is no longer a destination city for star players or home to one.
It all could change in Chicago if Davis or a star of his ilk chose the Bulls in free agency in the coming summers, but why would such a player want to join a team in the Bulls' current state?
Former NBA veteran Matt Barnes believes that.
"It starts at the top," Barnes said of the Bulls. "They got to figure out the management situation, the head coach situation. To me, a good move would be bring Barack (Obama) in somehow. Give Obama some kind of management point. Bring in some more support from the city. I know that's going to grab guys' attention. That could possibly work in luring in free agents."
The All-Star weekend festivities featured a taste of Chicago at every turn. There was the rigged voting process that cost Aaron Gordon in a controversial slam dunk contest Saturday night and a powerful tribute from Common to his hometown ahead of the All-Star Game on Sunday. The halftime show was performed by yet another Chicago native in Chance the Rapper.
It was a memorable All-Star night and weekend that reminded of the city's love of basketball, of what it can be.
"Chicago is a basketball powerhouse," the former Bulls star Butler said.
Jordan built that with his championship Bulls teams, forming a legacy that still towers over the city. He inspired the likes of James, Davis and so many more to become All-Stars talents and heroes for young basketball players around the world.
Chicago is proud of its basketball past, but it's a sleeping giant waiting to be awakened. This city needs more icons of its own to inspire.