There aren’t too many athletes that have achieved as enormous success (this refers to any sport) as Michael Jordan. According to a lot of sports enthusiasts, Michael Jordan is considered one of the best basketball players of all time.
Back in the 1980s and the 1990s, he was for sure a force to be reckoned with. Apart from the basics (that most people are familiar with) that he was born in 1963 in Brooklyn, there are a lot of interesting facts that aren’t known by many.
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If you are a huge basketball lover, and you’re a big fan of this legend, then maybe these remarkable facts that I’m about to put together below will make you fall in love with him even more. So let’s check them out together!
He Was Never Cut From the High School Basketball Team
At some point, there was some gossip circulating that he was cut from the high school basketball team. But was that really the case? Not quite. In fact, as a sophomore, he wanted to play for Laney High School (N.C.) and eventually ended up on the junior varsity.
And the main reason for that was the fact that Laney was in need of players who were taller, so they’ve chosen Leroy Smith over Michael Jordan. All of these events motivated Jordan even more.
He has given his all to be better, which led to spectacular results when a growth spurt shot him up to an incredible 6’3″.
Not a Huge Fan of Water
Who would have ever thought that this seemingly invincible person is scared of anything? But the truth is, this phobia stems from an accident that occurred when he was a kid. Namely, one of his friends drowned when he was pulled into the undertow, and precisely this occurrence scarred the athlete for life.
Not long after this event, Jordan nearly drowned while he was attending the basketball camp and, ever since, has developed a serious water phobia. Even though, over time, he has tried to overcome this fear; he admits that still, to this day, he doesn’t feel very comfortable when he’s on a smaller boat or when he is close to big bodies of water.
Is He the Best Basketball Player Ever?
There’s no doubt that he is among the best basketball players in the world; however, is he number one? No one can confirm that he is number one; however, he is widely known for his spectacular basketball capabilities, including defense, scoring, and passing.
Additionally, he won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, plus he won the NBA Finals MVP every single time. Moreover, he was constantly on the NBA All-Star Team. Nowadays, avid admirers of this legend love to collect Michael Jordan rookie cards to keep the memory of him alive. And that’s a huge privilege since only renowned athletes can be seen on these cards.
He Is the First Player in the NBA to Become the Majority Owner of an NBA Team
Michael Jordan didn’t just break the record on the court, but he also did many spectacular things off the court. One of them is that he increased the stake in the Charlotte Hornets so he could become the official majority owner of an NBA team. By doing so, he became the first former player who has accomplished this.
An Actor As Well
There’s no denying that this phenomenal athlete is a multi-talented person. Not only is he one of the most gifted basketball players of all time, but he is also a very solid actor. More than twenty-five years ago, he appeared in the blockbuster movie called Space Jam, where he was playing himself, of course, alongside a variety of Looney Tunes characters, such as Bugs Bunny.
There’s no need to remind you that this film was a major success, earning more than $230 million worldwide and becoming one of the most successful basketball movies ever. More importantly, Jordan’s skills as an actor were recognized by both his fans and critics, claiming that precisely he was the one who made this movie so popular.
He Loved Magic Johnson
Even the biggest legends of all time have idols. One of them was Magic Johnson. He was so smitten by him that he even called himself Magic Jordan. To make things even more interesting, when he purchased his first automobile, which was a 1976 Grand Prix, he put the license plate that was titled Magic Jordan.
Michael Jordan & Nike
His collaboration with Nike almost didn’t happen. How come? Well, that’s because Jordan, in the beginning, wanted to wear Adidas after becoming part of the NBA team and was pursued to endorse a relatively small and unknown brand called Spot-Bilt.
But Nike was obviously way more persistent. Namely, they gave him an outstanding offer of $500 grand per year for five consecutive years, along with the chance to create his own sneakers.
But it appears to be like Jordan wasn’t completely blown away by this deal, so he returned to Adidas once again; however, they weren’t able to match the phenomenal offer that Nike gave, which is how the collaboration between Jordan and Nike was born.
Thirty-eight years ago, Nike blasted off the Air Jordans, which generated over $100 million in revenue.
He Was Married Twice
Back in 1989, he married Juanita Vanoy, and they had three kids together, Jasmine, Marcus James, and Jeffrey Michael. After twenty-seven years of marriage, they split up. And then, twelve years ago, Michael Jordan proposed to his girlfriend, Yvette Prieto (a Cuban model), and they married two years later. In 2014, Yvette gave birth to twins Ysabel and Victoria.
He Loves to Smoke
Even though you can often see him with a cigar, this habit wasn’t something that he brought into the NBA team with him. In fact, he didn’t start smoking until he won his first championship in this team back in 1991.
When you are as accomplished and popular as Michael Jordan, then your life is probably filled with various interesting events and anecdotes. And in this article, you can read the most gripping ones.
