Michael Jordan is well-known for his love of golf. It’s a sport he has been passionate about for many years. Despite being one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Jordan has dedicated a significant amount of time and resources to his love of golf.
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Jordan’s love of golf can be seen in the fact that he is often spotted playing the sport. MJ played a lot of golf even during his NBA career. He has been known to play with other celebrities and golf enthusiasts. He has even participated in professional golf tournaments.
The allure of golf for Jordan likely comes from its competitive nature, as well as the challenge of perfecting one’s technique. Golf requires precision and focus, two qualities that Jordan has demonstrated throughout his basketball career.
Additionally, golf provides an opportunity for Jordan to unwind and relax, something that may have been difficult to do during his busy NBA schedule.
Jordan’s passion for golf extends beyond just playing the sport. He has his own golf course (Slaughterhouse XXIII) and has even started his own golf brand. This demonstrates a deep level of commitment and dedication to the sport.
Michael Jordan warned NBA fans that he’d retire to play golf at the age of 32
Jordan was already a part of the USA’s public consciousness within his first few weeks in the NBA. His level of stardom ascended a few levels further after he hung a playoff-record 63 points against the Boston Celtics in 1986.
Despite being swept by the Celtics, Jordan was hailed as an all-time great. The great Larry Bird – a 3-time reigning MVP at the time – called him God in disguise.
As such, this fame heralded a lot more opportunities for MJ to improve his commercial standing. He was invited by David Letterman on the latter’s show for an interview. Letterman asked Jordan if he’d be interested in playing pro golf, to which he got a reply in the affirmative:
“(I want to) Quit at the age of 32 and try to get to the PGA tour. I had to (play basketball) because I’ve got to go out and earn some money because you’re gonna lose a lot (in golf).”
MJ did retire – at 30 – but not to play golf
Michael Jordan hinted in the aforementioned interview that he’d play 11 years of professional basketball before retiring. He played 9 and won 3 championships before the untimely death of his father led him to retirement.
However, Jordan pursued his father’s childhood ambition for him – playing pro baseball. MJ turned out for the Chicago White Sox’s minor league team – the Birmingham Barons – for 16 months before announcing his return to the NBA.
