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Michael Jordan spent around $10,000 on the security guard who ‘shrugged’ on him after beating him

Samir Mehdi
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Michael Jordan spent around $10,000 on the security guard who ‘shrugged’ on him after beating him

Michael Jordan spent around $10,000 on a watch for John Wozniak, the infamous security guard who hit him with his own shrug. 

Michael Jordan had several different personas that were fed to the public. There was the maniacal version of him that Sam Smith brought to light where Jordan would reportedly have a tyrannical rule over the rest of his Bulls teammates. Then there was the All-American, goody-two shoes hero that brands loved to delve into. 

Between all the hoopla around what Michael Jordan was really like, MJ himself admitted that he wanted to lead a simple lifestyle. He enjoyed gambling, wanted to play golf, spend time with his kids, and most importantly, have the constant media attention surrounding him die down. 

For someone who was given the nickname ‘Black Jesus’, he needed to have an inner circle that he could trust fiercely. While many think of his connections in the league as his closest friends, a lot of the time, it was his personnel who he shared some of his best of memories with. 

His security guards were featured quite heavily in ‘The Last Dance’ and it was clear he shared a special bond with them/ the two who stood out the most were Gus and John Michael Wozniak.

Also read: 6’6” Ron Harper was PISSED when Cavaliers coach assigned Craig Ehlo to guard Michael Jordan during a 1989 playoffs clash

Michael Jordan gifted Wozniak a beautiful Rolex. 

John Michael Wozniak, as many may remember from the docuseries, was the man who hit Michael Jordan with his own ‘Shrug’ after beating him in a coin tossing game. This of course, was in reference to MJ’s iconic shrug against the Blazers in Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals that came after he drained 6 threes in a half. 

Jordan had a close friendship with Wozniak, as evident by ‘The Last Dance’. To show his appreciation for the man who served him for two decades, MJ bought him a Rolex Datejust. Datejusts start at $7,000 and can go up to $15,000. It’s unclear how much Michael spent on the model he got for John but a mean of $10,000 could be approximated. 

The watch is heavily personalized for him as the caseback reads, “To John M., From MJ, 12-25-93.” So clearly Michael Jordan got this for John as a Christmas present. John would pass away before he’d be able to see himself gain infamy through the Netflix docuseries, passing away at the age of 69 in January of 2020.

Also read: Michael Jordan didn’t actually go to Vegas to get Dennis Rodman out of bed with Carmen Electra

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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