In 1995, 22-year-old Ichiro Suzuki was making waves in the Japanese baseball scene. But in the US, he was still an unknown name, just a foreign player scouts were keeping their eyes on. The same year, the Future Hall of Famer traveled to the States and met one of the greatest athletes the country had ever seen – Michael Jordan.
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However, Ichiro was known to be shy. His timidness was especially on display when he met the man he called his idol. In all fairness, meeting His Airness must have felt surreal, and adding his charisma and confidence to the mix only made him more intimidating. So it wasn’t all that surprising how awkward Ichiro’s first meeting with Jordan went.
Ichiro Suzuki was awfully nervous while meeting Michael Jordan
In 1995, Jordan made his actual comeback. The previous season had proven to be disappointing for the Bulls even with Michael’s return from baseball. The same year, Jordan met one of the greatest hitters in Japanese and MLB history. But as fate would have it, Ichiro was still evolving and MJ had no idea of the talent that stood with him.
Michael’s nonchalant demeanor only fueled Suzuki’s timidness. He fumbled and was embarrassed for most of the conversation. Of course, having a translator made the conversation a little more awkward. But MJ, true to himself, remained warm and friendly throughout. He even remembered the translator, or that is what he claimed at least.
Ichiro made more money playing baseball than Michael did in the NBA
Six years after meeting MJ, Suzuki made his MLB debut in 2001. He quickly became a baseball sensation and won the Rookie of the Year and AL MVP awards. Suzuki would go on to create an exceptional career. Though Ichiro never won an MLB World Series, the Japanese superstar won two World Baseball Classics Championships. He also led Japan to its first-ever WBC title in 2006. He won another title for his country in 2009.
Surprisingly, in his MLB career, Ichiro Suzuki ended up making more money than even his idol. Michael Jordan made $93.88 million in his NBA career. Ichiro, on the other hand, made $168.95 million in his MLB career. That means the baseball legend made $75 million more than MJ. How incredible to top your idol in whatever way possible.
