Michael Jordan was quite possibly the world’s most famous man during his 90s peak. Even Oprah Winfrey seemed to be fangirling for a bit.
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If there was ever a living legend – a human synonym for excellence – the Bulls legend was surely it. Such was his fame that he ensured the penetration of basketball as a sport to many new countries. People wouldn’t know a single thing about hoops, but they knew about the balding dunker.
Legend goes that the bald look is called ‘the Jordan’ even in African countries and the Caucasus. If he really wanted to, Michael Jordan could’ve been the biggest sports celebrity in the world today. He just prefers to stay out of the spotlight.
This sentiment is understandable given he spent nearly 2 decades under the most intense scrutiny imaginable. MJ says he detests the social media era, but he himself was the only talk in basketball all through his Bulls tenure.
There’s a reason why Oprah introduced him on the show as ‘the most famous man on the planet’. This was because the name of Michael Jordan transcended sports, political leanings and affiliations. Watching him ‘Air’ was a sight any and everyone could and did enjoy.
Michael Jordan appears on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Winfrey refers to Jordan as the “most famous man on the planet”. pic.twitter.com/1j6T4ztDwt
— Abe (@AbeNahmias) April 20, 2020
Michael Jordan was at his charismatic best on the Oprah Winfrey Show
The grandiose introduction notwithstanding, it seemed Oprah was bubbling with enthusiasm for Michael in a fashion reserved only for the greatest. Indeed, she seemed to trip over herself in her rush to heap praise on MJ.
Her first words after introducing MJ were ‘Do you even realize how big you are, Michael? And I don’t mean literally.’ – at which point the audience burst out laughing at the double entendre.
Jordan detailed how he couldn’t just walk around downtown Chicago like the average resident of the town. He was, after all, the pride and joy of the city whose colors he’d donned for 14 years. He did all of this while sporting his widest, winningest smile.
Oh, man, as a 26-year-old, I often regret not being alive and well for the GOAT’s heyday.