Michael Jordan revealed to Stephen Curry during an interview in 2021 that he considers golf to be the hardest game in the world. Jordan explained that golf is like a mirror where you have to contend against your own limitations to perfect your game. The Chicago Bulls legend’s love for golf, which could very well rival his love for basketball, stemmed from the challenges that the game posed for him to fuel his fiercely competitive spirit. However, Jordan’s habit of swinging clubs on the course didn’t develop after his NBA career kickstarted, like it does for so many players. In fact, MJ used to beg the golf coaches at UNC for free lessons during his collegiate stint.
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Even today, golf is seen as a leisure activity for affluent people for obvious reasons. However, Michael Jordan never saw it that way. He fell in love with the sport and wanted to master it long before he amassed his staggering $2 billion net worth. In fact, MJ didn’t let the lack of money come in the way of his passion for golf.
Michael Jordan ‘begged’ his UNC coach for free golf lessons
During a 2021 interview with Keely Levins of Golf Digest, PGA Master Professional at Duke University Ed Ibarguen detailed the beginning of Michael Jordan’s golf journey. During Ibarguen’s stint at UNC Finley Golf Course, he had the privilege of coaching Chapel Hill’s Dean Smith and his most famous student, Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Ibarguen told Levins, “I happened to be in the right place at the right time when Michael Jordan took an interest in golf…He came into the pro shop and asked, ‘Are you Ed Ibagoogen?‘”
The veteran golfer smiled as he ruminated the encounter. However, there seemed to be one problem. Michael Jordan wasn’t a six-time NBA champion and a basketball Hall-of-Famer back then. He was just a teenager with big aspirations and a strong love for golf. Therefore, Jordan had to convince Ibarguen to give him some free lessons so that he could play the game the right way.
“I was excited to teach him, but he told me, ‘We might have a problem. I don’t have any money to pay you.’ I only had so many lessons to give and my son had just been born six months earlier, but I asked him, ‘Are you serious about learning, or would you be wasting our time?’ He said, ‘I really love this game, and I want to learn how to play it the right way,’” Ibarguen added.
The main predicament MJ faced while playing golf was that his hands were too big. Therefore, they had to put extra grip in his clubs, which made them look like baseball bats. Ibarguen noted that this made the clubhead really light, which had to be taped to balance the weight.
However, Jordan’s enthusiasm was unprecedented and it helped him excel in the sport. Ibarguen revealed that the UNC hooper would hurry him up during the evening to get as many holes as possible before darkness. Jordan’s physical gifts allowed him to emulate the lessons quickly and accurately, something which we see to this day.
Jordan played golf during the postseason as well
During the 1993 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley played golf together, a fact which confounded many in the NBA community. However, it was MJ’s habit to play golf in between important playoff series to ease the tension.
While we see NBA players hit the course regularly in the offseason, few continue to play after the season start. But players like Stephen Curry have carried on the mantle from Jordan in the game of golf.
