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Michael Jordan Once Dodged a ‘Publicity Nightmare’ By Quoting Magic Johnson’s Mistakes: “Fear of Public Criticism”

Siddid Dey Purkayastha
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Michael Jordan Once Dodged a 'Publicity Nightmare' By Quoting Magic Johnson's Mistakes: "Fear of Public Criticism"

As soon as the Chicago Bulls acquired Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft, he became a PR and publicity giant for the team. Under the tutelage of new management, the Bulls had newfound success in filling its once-empty stands, all thanks to Jordan’s popularity. And this, in turn, made the man deeply conscious of his public and corporate image.

Before Phil Jackson, Doug Collins coached the then-newly transitioning Bulls team with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on their roster. Until he was fired in 1989, Collins was fairly popular in Chicago and had a very good rapport with MJ. However, sometimes Collins’ incessant criticisms and harsh behavior toward other players would cause resentment in the locker room.

When the others on the Bulls’ team called upon Michael Jordan to address this issue, he refused to do so. He recalled Magic Johnson’s example, whose image suffered severe damage after he influenced the firing of Paul Westhead from the Los Angeles Lakers. Michael never wanted any such outcome, nor did he want to sour his relationship with his coach. The book Jordan Rules by Sam Smith elaborated on this incident and how Jordan feared ‘public criticism’ for his actions.

Michael Jordan refused to call out coach Doug Collins’ divisive locker-room politics in fear of public criticism

Ever since Michael Jordan started soaring in popularity, he calculated his every move and action in order to save his public image. After all, he was now a brand, both for the Bulls and Nike. And considering the money and influence he got from his situation being that way, it’s hard to think he wanted anything to change.

For the fans, Michael Jordan was the guy who would keep his team afloat, despite being constantly brushed aside by the Detroit Pistons in the late 1980s. With Collins also being popular in Chicago, MJ speaking out against him would only result in his public image taking one for the team, something he couldn’t afford. This an unfortunate circumstance Magic Johnson had to face when his influence on firing coach Paul Westwood was detrimental to the Lakers. In the book Jordan Rules, Sam Smith writes:

“Fear of public criticism controlled many of Jordan’s actions. When teammates once suggested he come out publicly against then-coach Doug Collins, who was splitting the team in two with his incessant criticism of certain players, Jordan refused. ‘I’m not getting into one of those things like Magic did,’ he said, recalling the damage to Magic Johnson’s image and endorsement potential when he orchestrated the firing of Lakers coach Paul Westhead.”

When Collins was later fired by the Bulls management in 1989, former Lakers player Phil Jackson was immediately brought on in his place. Michael was later asked about this, and in response, he only said that the management’s decision was one in the best interest of the franchise. A characteristically safe answer once again. However, like all good things, his clean streak was bound to come to an end at some point.

Even though Michael Jordan played it safe for years, his gambling woes started becoming public in 1991. This eventually culminated in a huge hit to his image, with many even speculating it to be the reason behind his mysterious 1993 retirement.

Jordan took a huge hit to his image due to his gambling exploits

Michael Jordan was clearly as competitive in his gambling bouts, as he was on the basketball court. However, his exploits in this bizarre tread would later cost him his public image. This was aggravated further when Michael Jordan was associated with the murder of Eddie Dow in 1992.

He got into serious trouble when a $108,000 cheque from him was recovered from Eddie Dow which was signed by Michael Jordan. ‘His Airness’ also came to be associated with convicted drug dealer Slim Bouler, for making an alleged payment to him. These dents in Michael Jordan’s public image haunt him to this day. In fact, many still associate his off-court life with nothing more than his gambling pursuits and habit of smoking expensive cigars.

About the author

Siddid Dey Purkayastha

Siddid Dey Purkayastha

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Siddid Dey Purkayastha is an NBA Journalist at SportsRush, covering the sports for two years. He has always been a lover of sports and considers basketball as his favorite. While he has more than 600 articles under his belt, Siddid specializes in CoreSport pieces with on-point game analysis. He is an ardent fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, since Kobe Bryant's 80-point game made him a fan of the franchise. Apart from basketball, Siddid occasionally watches soccer and takes a fancy in following up with the Premier League in his free time.

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