Michael Jordan was such an iconic figure during his prime that he inspired an entire generation of athletes. Be it in basketball or other sports, Jordan served as a role model for a whole lot of iconic names, and seven-time Formula 1 Champion Lewis Hamilton is one of them.
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Ahead of his much-anticipated debut for Ferrari at next week’s Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton obliged influencer Kyan Francis by answering a few questions for his Instagram page. The questions ranged from his deepest fears to his favorite foods, but Hamilton’s words on Michael Jordan stood out.
When asked who his biggest inspirations are, Hamilton replied, “My dad, Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, and Michael Jordan.”
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The four names Hamilton listed come as no surprise. Hamilton’s father, Anthony sacrificed a lot to get Lewis where he is today. Having always stood up for the right thing and the fight for social justice, Lewis must certainly have learned from Mandela.
At the same time, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali both displayed the ultimate champion mentality and competitiveness. His 105 Grand Prix wins have surely displayed the GOAT mindset learned from the two champions he named.
However, this answer came just a week after he revealed that Jordan once stood him up despite the two being set to play a round of golf. Talking to Sean Greggory in his TIME Magazine interview, Hamilton revealed that he had a round booked with Jordan, but the Bulls legend “didn’t end up being there.”
That interaction didn’t do much to harm their relationship, though, as Hamilton still considers Jordan a great friend and the two were even spotted together at the 2022 Miami GP.
Michael Jordan and Lewis Hamilton’s close friendship
As athletes considered the pinnacle of what one can achieve in their successive sports, Hamilton and Jordan, expectedly, share a close friendship. Add on Jordan’s own foray into the world of motorsport, and it’s understandable how the two have banded over the years.
In fact, Hamilton once revealed that Jordan attempted to convince him to switch over to NASCAR and give up his seat at Mercedes for his 23XI Racing Team. NASCAR notably follows a format contrsatingly different to that of Formula 1, so it was a pleasant surprise when Hamilton casually revealed that tidbit.
Hamilton also posed for photos with Jordan during the 2022 Miami GP, along with two other bonafide legends of their respective games, Tom Brady and David Beckham.
4 GOATs in 1 photo 👀
Tom Brady, David Beckham, Michael Jordan, & Lewis Hamilton are all in Miami for the @F1 race 🏎
(📸 via @TomBrady) pic.twitter.com/PcXZyjRkdq
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) May 8, 2022
But this wasn’t the only photo that Hamilton posted that week. He uploaded a photo of his father and Michael Jordan onto his Instagram stories and called them both his heroes.
This is in line with what he told Francis about his father and Jordan being two of his biggest inspirations.
With the F1 season starting next week, Hamilton will be in pursuit of his 8th World Drivers Championship. He will visit the States on 3 separate occasions during the season, with races set in Miami in May, Austin in October, and Las Vegas in November.
And who knows, maybe we’ll get to see Michael Jordan in Hamilton’s garage during any of the three races.
