‘Be Like Mike’ was an advertisement campaign that glorified being Michael Jordan. Wanting to be like the Chicago Bulls legend was a dream for millions of children, not just in the United States, but across the world, especially after his talents were showcased to the rest of the world through the 1992 Dream Team.
Advertisement
Though, despite having millions and later on billions of dollars attached to his name, along with global admiration and on-court accomplishments, Jordan never fame as a positive in his life. The 6x NBA champion has said on many occasions that living the life he lives is much too stressful for any human to bear.
Fans of the ‘Last Dance’ docuseries saw firsthand just how much Jordan despised being in the public eye at times. What fans don’t realize is that he was feeling this way well before he had even won his first ever NBA championship.
Michael Jordan called himself a ‘nasty and evil person’ for dissociating from the public
Michael Jordan, during an interview with GQ in 1989, let it be known that he would frequently dissociate himself from the public when he felt as though it was getting too much for him to handle. “I go into hiding. I stay in. There are many days I don’t want to be around people and I’m an evil, nasty person.”
This is coming from Jordan who had been in the league for merely half a decade. If his resentment with fame was this high with such less time spent in the NBA, it’s quite unfathomable as to how much hatred he had for the spotlight by the time he reached his final year with the Chicago Bulls in 1997-98.
This isn’t to say that MJ hated his fans or his supporters. It’s to say that every human being should be awarded the right to privacy. For ‘The GOAT’, this right of his was stripped away the second he entered the league.
Michael Jordan has kept himself out of the public eye since his retirement
After having been the most sought after athlete in North American sporting history for nearly 2 decades, Michael Jordan ‘went into hiding’ following his retirement. He rarely gave any interviews, wasn’t seen stepping out a whole lot, and didn’t disclose his personal affairs to the media.
Since having gotten divorced and remarried, Michael has lived quite a quaint lifestyle. When he does step out, he’s usually vacationing somewhere or is either at a fishing or golf tournament.
