Max Verstappen Expects Michael Jordan Treatment for Replicating Chicago Bulls’ Legacy With Red Bull- “NBA Survived” and So Can F1

Max Verstappen Expects Michael Jordan Treatment for Replicating Chicago Bulls’ Legacy With Red Bull- “NBA Survived” and So Can F1

Max Verstappen’s recent dominance in F1 has resulted in many such as Lewis Hamilton and others raising concerns about fans’ interest in the sport. Their argument revolves around the sport lacking excitement and entertainment ever since Verstappen started obliterating the field with Red Bull. Despite the criticism, Verstappen compared his dominant run with that of NBA legend, Michael Jordan, and his time with the Chicago Bulls.

Time quoted the Dutchman in a feature as saying, “The NBA survived when the Chicago Bulls were dominating. At the time, or even afterwards, people are like, ‘Oh, that was amazing.’ If you are a real fan of the sport, you should be able to appreciate a team doing very well.”

While the three-time champion may cite Jordan as a response to people calling his domination out, the comparison is not the best due to one simple reason. While Verstappen has wiped out the competition this season, Jordan’s Bulls were famous for their hard-fought and oftentimes narrow margins of victory.

Hence, even though the Chicago Bulls were the clear favorites, there was still a quantum of excitement embedded in their matchups. Contrastingly, with Verstappen, every race weekend this year has become a foregone conclusion that the Dutchman will win even before a single lap has even been completed.

Max Verstappen emulated Michael Jordan as a result of his own triumphant F1 career

Max Verstappen shares several commonalities with Michael Jordan. For instance, the duo share the distinct honor of having a trailblazing rookie season and an exponential advantage in terms of athletic ability, determination, and drive over their respective rivals.

While reflecting on Jordan’s critically acclaimed documentary on Netflix ‘The Last Dance‘, Verstappen revealed, “I did like the spirit of Michael Jordan, how he was pushing it, how he was driven to win.”

However, Verstappen does admit that certain embellishments hyping the legend were a part and parcel of the experience. “Of course, not everything about that is 100 percent true, because it’s a documentary and some things for sure are a bit hyped up,” added the Dutch lion.

Despite the disclaimer, Verstappen’s view of Jordan is something that resonates with him. As Verstappen explained, that undying thirst for success is something that the 26-year-old also incorporates in his F1 career.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Chicago Bulls Max Verstappen Michael Jordan Red Bull

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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