The way sponsorships work with athletes is that they cannot be found in pictures wearing another brand. However, conflict can arise. For example, the 1992 Olympics had their clothing made by Reebok, which obviously caused issues for Michael since he was sponsored by Nike.
Out of total loyalty to Nike, Jordan would always wear the American flag over his shoulders in an effort to hide the Reebok logo. In his defense, he said, “the American flag cannot deface anything.”
He Received His Biggest Salary in 1998
If you’ve heard the Michael Jordan earned around $4 million a season and wondered if it was true, it is. For the 90s, that was a ton of money. In 1997 however, he had a huge jump in his earnings where he went from $4 million to $30 million. The following year he earned $33 million.
If Jordan was still playing ball, there’s no way we could imagine the kind of money he would be raking in.
Slam Dunk King
Michael Jordan was a guy who knew how to put on a show for the crowd. Although he wasn’t the tallest player in the NBA, he knew that fans loved a slam dunk. During one of his games, a fan challenged him to dunk on “somebody your own size” after posturizing 6’1” John Stockton.
Next, he took a leap of faith and took on Melvin Turpin who was 6’11”. Turpin should’ve been able to block him easily, but he failed, and the crowd went wild.
The Story Behind the Flu Game
It goes without saying that when you play sports, there’s always going to be someone on the opposing team who is going to try to ruin you. With that being said, there’s a theory on how Michael Jordan contracted the flu. The players, including Jordan, wanted to order room service but it was too late.
They ordered a pizza instead, and strangely, five men showed up at the time of the delivery. Jordan was the only player who ate the pizza, and a few hours later he called the team trainers because he was viciously sick with food poisoning.
He Eats the Same Meal Before Every Game
Believe it or not, but Michael Jordan was a pretty superstitious guy. Prior to every game, you could find him eating a 23-ounce New York strip steak, a side salad, mashed or baked potatoes, and ginger ale. Can you think of a better meal for a king?
There were other athletes who shared the same idea. One of those being Ryan Vogelsong who is the former MLB pitcher. He used to eat enchiladas the night before a start. It was then during one of the San Francisco Giants’ World series runs they became known as “rally enchiladas.”