Michael Jordan’s Space Jam ‘Secret Stuff’ and the Power of the Placebo Effect

February 24, 2022 by
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

When I think about the placebo effect, I think about Space Jam. Not the Lebron James sequel that came out last year, the original version with Michael Jordan and Larry Bird from the mid 90’s. 

You might recall during the game against the Monstars, the Tune Squad got dominated in the first half. In the locker room, Bugs and Jordan give a rousing half time speech that includes the “discovery” of Michael’s “Secret Stuff.” Which is a not-so-discreetly labeled bottle presumed to be some sort of a performance enhancing beverage. In the second half, the Looney Tunes make a comeback following the shared consumption of said bottle. In the third half (actually) the Monstars strike back at which point Michael Jordan tells the team that his “Secret Stuff '' was actually just water, and they didn’t need it. 

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