Michael Jordan may have been the most popular personality of the 90s but Mike Tyson still wanted to beat him up for Robin Givens.
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Michael Jordan was close to the glorious end of his career in 1998. The Bulls were on their way to winning the 6th championship in just 8 years. MJ had become a household name and his brand Air Jordan was bigger than ever.
Meanwhile, Mike Tyson was a whole different story by then. He started his career on a very high note but controversy followed him everywhere. By the time of his infamous meeting with Michael Jordan, Tyson was out of prison.
Simply put, he was considered a very dangerous man. Added to his signature unpredictability, Mike’s whimsical nature for violence once threatened even MJ.
Mike Tyson threatened Michael Jordan
For context, a few years before Mike Tyson married actress Robin Givens, MJ and Robin had dated. In Michael’s own words, the relationship had lasted less than a week. His Airness had found that Robin was chasing successful men and decided not to continue.
In 1988, NFL legend Richard Dent hosted his birthday party in a high-end restaurant in Chicago. The guest list included some incredibly famous sports personalities. But the two biggest names were easily Mike Tyson and Michael Jordan.
Once the party started, Tyson quickly got drunk on his choice of cocktail – LIIT. His manager noted that as soon as Mike was drunk, his true feelings surfaced. Drunk Tyson turned towards Michael Jordan and confronted him about dating Robin.
Tyson: “Hey man, you think I’m stupid? I Know You F**ked With My B**ch.”
Michael was flabbergasted by Mike’s behavior. He left the party as quickly as possible. To be fair to Jordan, Tyson had knocked down people at the drop of a hat. He even went to prison for beating up two motorists.
MJ being the spotless, well-mannered man he was, thought it best to leave rather than indulge Iron Mike. Good decision. Nothing braver than avoiding meaningless violence, especially when you are a star of that caliber.
Mike Tyson’s relationship with Robin Givens ended on a sour note
In his interview with GQ, Jordan pointed out his relief at breaking up with her in time. He was also stunned by the news of Robin dating Mike Tyson. Less than a year after the GQ interview, Tyson and Robin were divorced.
The instance with Michael Jordan clearly highlighted how dysfunctional Robin and Tyson had been. Their entire relationship was marred by controversy.
Michael definitely knew what he was doing when he ended his relationship with Robin. Interestingly, he also knew what he was doing when he left Dent’s birthday party.
