JUNE 4, 2023Jenny Dang1 Year Before Iconic Comeback, Michael Jordan Fandom Once Brutally Heckled MLB Star for Stealing the Thunder: “Pretty Much a Historic Event”
NBA legend Michael Jordan had a historic career in the game of basketball. Interestingly, it is not the only sport he tried his hands professionally on. While the Chicago Bulls legend was probably the biggest star in the league, he suddenly retired at the age of 30! The reason for his retirement was soon revealed to the six-time NBA champ’s fans. He was trying his hands at baseball! Although Jordan did not have the best of stints playing baseball, he still had an insane fan following.
This was confirmed during MJ’s first MLB appearance which produced one of the most historic and iconic moments in the league’s history.
Michael Jordan fans came to his rescue during his first MLB appearance
Back in 1994, Michael Jordan was one of the biggest icons of the basketball game. He was fresh off winning a three-peat with the Chicago Bulls and was on Cloud Nine. However, the Hall of Famer had caught himself in some gambling controversies. Additionally, the death of his father had left a huge impact.
Jordan did the impossible. He announced his retirement and decided to pursue a career in baseball. His Airness transitioned from being one of the biggest names to a light-hitting rookie in Double-A ball for the White Sox.
On April 7th, Jordan played in his first ever MLB game when the White Sox participated in an exhibition game. During the play, Jordan had the opportunity to grab a routine pop-up. However, his teammate Joey Cora was quicker and reached the ball first.
Instead of cheering for their team, the fans booed Cora! This left a smile on Jordan’s face and the commentators were impressed by the Bulls legend’s popularity. The commentator said, “Putting Michael Jordan in the equation, you have pretty much a historic event here.”
To the relief of basketball fans, Jordan returned shortly after. In signature MJ style, the six-time NBA champion announced his return next season and won another three-peat! Nonetheless, MJ played a major role in MLB icon’s deal.
Jordan helped his close friend seal an MLB team deal
Although Jordan did not have many iconic moments while playing baseball, he made a lot of friends along the way. One of them happens to be MLB legend Derek Jeter.
Back in 2017, Jeter and his group aspired to take ownership of the Miami Marlins. However, he was short of funds and had also informed the league association of his situation. Jeter and his group had procured $1.2 billion when his good friend Jordan came in.
The billionaire helped Jeter with funds and also secured partial ownership of the Miami Marlins. According to reports, Jordan has a 1% stake in the team.
