A look back on the “What did Michael Jordan do to the dog” TikTok trend and revealing the truth behind the infamous controversy

Last year, a TikTok trend involving Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan went viral, leaving the internet in confusion. The trend was called “What did Michael Jordan do to the dog.” It originated when one user posted a short video, ending with the question “what did Michael Jordan do to the dog?” The user then cut off the video before answering the question.

The confusing video quickly went viral, receiving millions of views, as many searched for the answer. This led to many more videos being created on the subject that asked the same question.

As the trend grew more popular, confusion only grew as well. Fake news articles were then published providing made-up answers to the question. This included stories about Jordan being attacked by a dog.

Others claimed that the Hall-of-Famer had a dog that underwent surgery. A fake name was even reported for the hypothetical dog, with people calling it “Spinee.”However, there was never a proper answer to the question, as it was all a pointless joke that grew out of control and led to multiple hoaxes.

In fact, Michael Jordan does not even have any publicly known pets.

Why doesn’t Michael Jordan appear in upcoming film "Air"?

Ben Affleck as Nike founder Phil Knight in upcoming Michael Jordan film "Air"

Ben Affleck’s next film about Michael Jordan titled “Air” is set to hit theaters next month. The film, starring Affleck, Matt Damon and Viola Davis, is about Sonny Vaccaro and Nike’s partnership with Jordan as a rookie.

However, the Bulls legend reportedly does not appear in the movie. According to Affleck, this is because Jordan is too iconic. Affleck said:

“It was not Michael’s decision, I did not ever plan on it, because I never thought for a second— hey, Michael is so magnificent, so famous, the whole reason why he represents and means what he does in terms of greatness and excellence, is because he’s so, so enigmatic and majestic and identifiable immediately, by his carriage, and demeanor and what we’ve seen him do physically”

He continued:

“That the one sure way to ruin the movie and have the audience understand that the whole thing is a fraud is to point the camera at anybody that’s not Michael Jordan and say, ‘Hey, that’s Michael Jordan!'

Affleck further stated:

“Because all of a sudden, they’re like, ‘This is the knockoff Michael Jordan!’ He’s too famous, and I like him being the guy above it. It’s how our relationship is with these icons and idols, they’re not in our living rooms, in our lives, they’re people who are in our fantasies”

Affleck added that the only person who could play Michael Jordan is Jordan himself. However, the Hall-of-Famer is too old to do so after recently turning 60.

As of now, the decision appears to be paying off as the movie is receiving rave reviews from critics. The film currently has a 100.0% score on Rotten Tomatoes with 18 reviews. It will be released in theaters on April 5.