When it comes to basketball, there is no name bigger than Michael Jordan. Even though MJ hung up his boots almost 20 years ago, he’s still the most popular name associated with the sport. And all of that is for good reason.
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MJ played in the NBA for 15 seasons, during which he established himself as the greatest player of all time. He won 6x Championships, 6x Finals MVPs, 5x MVPs, 1x DPOY, and had 14x All-Star selections.
With all of his achievements, fame and popularity came hand-in-hand. Now for a kid from North Carolina, getting used to the fame wasn’t easy, and he tried his best to live up to the same. Just after winning his first MVP honors, MJ tried to take some time away from public eye, by going to the mall!
Michael Jordan went unspotted in a mall for 75 whole minutes
In 1998, Michael Jordan won the first of his five MVP honors, edging both Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. It was his first sign of solidifying his place in the league and announcing he meant business.
Now, MJ, just like the rest of us, liked going out for movies, hanging at the mall, and having food outside during his free time. However, by being one of the most famous players, this had become extremely difficult for him. In a 1988 interview with Roy Firestone, MJ recalled how he went to the mall in disguise. He almost got away with it for 75 minutes, before the public realized who was in the building.
“I had shades, I turned my hat backward and how I wore the shorts and pants and stuff and look just kind of awkward. (It worked for) about an hour and 15 minutes. A couple of my teammates were with me, but what gave it away was I was walking with Brad Sellers, and he was seven feet, and everybody sees a seven-foot guy they’re gonna say well he plays basketball, and then they kind of stared at me and that gives it away.”
Well, being one of the hottest players in the league sure does come with its own drawbacks.
Jordan once explained the disadvantages of being famous
Ever since his rookie season in the NBA, Michael Jordan made his mark on the league. With success on the court, fame off the court followed. While others enjoy the same, MJ found it to be inconvenient. Talking about the same on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1997, His Airness said,
“There some advantages and disadvantages for being in my shoes. But when you want to go to a mall and when you want to enjoy yourself and hang out with the guys, it makes it tough, but you have to put up with it, and sometimes you want it. I mean, initially, when I first got into the league, it was fun. After a while, it does get old, and now this is something that I have to deal with because I enjoyed it from the beginning, but I have to deal with it now.”
Well, I guess MJ brought this one upon himself.
