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.”
He's Super Loyal to Nike
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.”
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's Worn Three Different Numbers on His Jersey
Michael Jordan is probably most famous for wearing the number 23, but you may not know that wasn’t the only number he has ever worn. To honor his brother Larry, he would sometimes wear the number 45.
Another time he wore the number 12 because, during a game in 1990, an arena employee located in Orlando stole his gamer. During that specific game, he scored a total of 49 points.
He Always Dressed in Layers During Games
There may be rumors about Michael Jordan that we can’t confirm, but one that we can is that he would wear his UNC shorts under his Chicago Bulls shorts. Those shorts were so baggy, but it was only because it was the only way that he could wear both.
This became such an unintended trend that happened by accident that other players started to do that same.