Michael Jordan exceeded what it meant to be a superstar in the NBA almost immediately after entering the NBA. He won Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 28+ points a game and didn’t slow a tad bit following his rookie campaign.
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As a mere sophomore in the league, he dropped 49 points and then a record 63 points on the behemoth, Boston Celtics led by Larry Bird in the 1986 Playoffs. He did so after coming back from breaking his left foot.
Fame came quick to Jordan, given his stellar play on the court. His basketball sneakers with Nike only helped further his cause as they became the best selling hoop shoes on the market. Soon enough, high-profile endorsements came flying in from the likes of McDonald’s and Gatorade, bringing his off-court earnings for a single to around $5 million.
Though, with such a quick ascent into fame, it was quite difficult for Michael to cope with it all at once.
Also read: Michael Jordan Once Had An Arrest Warrant Issued Thanks To Recklessness In His $35,000 Vehicle
Michael Jordan would get nightmares of getting addicted to cocaine or alcohol
Michael Jordan had an image to uphold all throughout his life. From the moment he stepped foot on an NBA court to present day as the chairperson of the Charlotte Hornets, Jordan simply could not afford to have his name dragged into controversies.
Though, with him becoming as successful as he was that early in his life (early 20s), he couldn’t get a firm grasp on how to deal with it all. In an interview with GQ in 1989, he talked about how if he got nightmares, it would almost certainly be about a mistake he made.
“I have robbed a bank. Or I have done cocaine. I have succumbed to the pressures of drugs. I felt the pressure to drink. These are all nightmares,” said MJ while describing these nightmares of his.
Why did Michael Jordan get to such a point?
The pressure of being the face of a multi-billion industry is too much for anybody to handle. Expectations from fans, the media, and even his fellow NBA players like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird all amalgamated all come down to one man.
Of course, Michael, in hindsight, handled his fame incredibly well. Despite ad campaigns like ‘Be Like Mike’, Michael Jordan held his own quite well in the face of thousands of cameras day in and day out.
While he did have more than just a few cheating scandals and was involved with various gambling conspiracies, somehow, it never affected the way he carried himself on and off the court. Fast-forward to today and MJ lives a quaint and secluded lifestyle with his wife, Yvette Prieto.
