Michael Jordan had earned some of the most intriguing nicknames because of his heroics on the basketball court. Whether it be His Airness or Air Jordan, both of which celebrate his aerial acrobatics, MJ has a long list of top-flight nicknames. One of his most special nicknames was given by Larry Bird, who called him “God Disguised as Michael Jordan”. An overwhelmed Bird associated MJ with Divinity after watching him drop 63 points in Game 2 of the 1986 playoffs at the Boston Garden.
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In a similar vein, one of Jordan’s nicknames also came through Chicago Bulls’ PR man Tim Hallam. He thought Jordan had a Jesus-like aura because of his messiah-like influence on the masses.
In the 2014 memoir Michael Jordan: The Life, author Roland Lazenby documented the details that shaped the nickname “Jesus” for Michael Jordan. Lazenby credits “culture and technology” for building Jordan’s image as the “godhead of a global sports and merchandising empire”.
He also mentions ACC basketball journalist Art Chansky’s account of Jordan’s entry into the Bulls’ arena. Chansky covered Jordan during his North Carolina days, so he saw the Wilmington native become a sensation in front of his eyes. The journalist was astonished at how the crowd responded when Michael Jordan walked through the aisle between the baseline seats of the Chicago Stadium. He recalled “grown men and women”, who had to persevere through backbreaking work to afford the seats, contorting their faces in awe and disbelief.
“Just the fact that Michael was within a couple of feet of them. I watched their faces, the contortions. It was like the Messiah walking by,” Lazenby quoted Art Chansky in his book.
This is one of the reasons why Bulls PR man Tim Hallam openly started calling MJ “Jesus”. When he conversed with his colleagues, Hallam would ask, “Have you seen Jesus today?”
Many people have spoken about Jordan’s unforgettable aura after meeting the Chicago Bulls legend in person. Shannon Sharpe recently recounted how MJ didn’t seem like a real person when he met him one time in the elevator during the Super Bowl. There’s no denying that Jordan had a larger than life personality that mesmerized people and drew them towards him.
Michael Jordan has mutual adoration for fans
Michael Jordan’s aura is not the only thing that resembled Jesus. Former Golden State Warriors head coach Johnny Bach was in awe of Jordan’s kind-hearted nature. The former Bulls assistant coach felt that there were instances when MJ’s teammates “abused” his considerate nature.
“He was asked for so many things by so many people that he had to have been wearied by all of these requests,” revealed Johnny Bach in Michael Jordan: The Life.
This goes against the narrative of MJ being what Scottie Pippen termed as “a horrible teammate”. Whether he was a terrible teammate or not is up for debate, considering that MJ once forced his teammate into retirement through his mean trash talking. But one thing is clear, Jordan went above and beyond for his fans. Perpetually overwhelmed by his acts, Bach revealed how Jordan once defied the league rules and brought “a kid that was hideously burned” to the Bulls bench to sit with the players.
