How Michael Jordan Got Rid of the “Cocaine circus” and Took the NBA to New Heights

Michael Jordan came up against some of the greatest players ever – but he also had to battle something else.

Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon were the talking points of the 80s—their influence on the game started even when they were outside the NBA. They entered the league at a time when the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers had a shootout almost every year.

But aside from the battles on the floor, there was another kind of shootout that was prevalent in the 80s. Guns, drugs, and women—the three keywords for any tabloid to build their stories on. That was the reality, a reality that even the sports leagues could not escape.

Players like Spencer Haywood and Len Bias fell victim to the overlord that is cocaine. While Haywood only fainted, Bias lost his life. Touted as the Jordan stopper, he did not make it to the NBA. The 80s were a truly terrible time to be a youngster but Jordan managed to stay out of trouble.

“Geniuses are allowed a vice”, as Sherlock Holmes once said. Jordan was not as smart as him, but he chose to smoke cigars and play fools on the floor.

Also Read: “They Saw Mike and Threw Us Out”: Michael Jordan Was Once Chucked Out of a Pool for Being African American

TV Shows should not be treating Drug Lords as heroes – yet Pablo Escobar and El Chapo remain as one.

The 80s was notorious for the prevalence of drugs. It was a time when white powder for the nose cost less than flour to make bread. Shows like Narcos have romanticized drug lords and their rise to power, but the harsh reality of families getting destroyed does not translate well enough to the real world.

Not that there is not a growing problem now, but the 70s and the 80s had famous people involved in the hard stuff. Lives were lost, livelihoods destroyed, and many dentists were happy that their business was booming.

The buying power of a normal American citizen was at an all-time high, and all they wanted to do was get high themselves. They were not creative in naming the substances but had the most ingenious ways of bringing them in.

The NBA has come a long way since the notorious 80s – their revolution began with Michael Jordan

Having Michael Jordan entering the peak of the rampant epidemic that was “drug addiction” was a blessing in disguise. Jordan was there for one thing – to play basketball. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, the league used him to move their image away from being a hub for substance abuse.

Salaries could have been higher in the early years of the league, no doubt, but then they would only be fuelling the players’ funds for more drugs.

People in general have become more aware too—they know what legal troubles they can get into. The FBI may have been accused of certain things 40 years ago, but they aren’t as lenient now. If marijuana gets legalized across all 50 states, the transformation will be complete.

As for the NBA, the light that Michael Jordan cast on it was enough to pull it out of the shadows. Today, it is one of the world’s most popular sports leagues, and rightfully so.

Also Read: Can Zion Williamson Replicate Michael Jordan’s Greatness After Returning From Injury?