Michael Jordan is one of the most popular celebrities this world has ever seen. In the 90s and after, no one fascinated people more than MJ, he was the center of attention everywhere he went. And once he had won his 6th championship and retired from the NBA for the 2nd time in his career, there was no reason for Jordan not to enjoy some of his wealth and status, something he did by partying and having a good time as he continues to do even today.
And when MJ returned to the league briefly as a member of the Washington Wizards, he continued to party off the floor. Jordan has friends like Charles Oakley around him and he would hit the clubs in Chicago when his team was visiting the city where he brought so many titles to. And his then-teammate Larry Hughes told HoopsHype that watching MJ at the club was like seeing something out of a movie.
“On one road trip, we were going to Chicago and we were playing the Bulls. Obviously, MJ is the greatest thing since sliced bread in that city. We were going to a nightclub to hang out. And M [Jordan] would always hang out with the team, but he would just be there. He would just appear. He wouldn’t necessarily go through the front door and we didn’t know if he came through the back door or if they had a secret entrance for him, but he would always just be there.
“So we were walking in and we saw him coming in. And as we saw him coming in, all the heads turned. Also, camera phones were starting to become a big thing, so you’d see all the phones come up and now everybody is taking pictures and videos of him walking through.”
“Charles Oakley was with him [Jordan] and there was one guy that would not respect the fact that M was trying to get to his seat,” the 12-year NBA veteran recounted. “He would not move. Charles Oakley was a teammate, was a coach, but he was more so MJ’s enforcer.
So, he had some words with the fan and the guy literally got down on his knees and waved his hands up and down like, ‘MJ, you are the king! You are the greatest!’ Then, he just got up and he moved out of the way, and MJ sat down. I was just like, ‘Okay, I’ve never seen that happen in real life…’ I’ve only seen that happen in the movies, so that was one time that stood out to me.”
Considering the almost mythical aura Michael Jordan had around him, it must have been truly incredible to witness that manifest in a situation like a nightclub in Chicago. And considering how hard MJ worked to dominate during his prime the way he did, there are not many that can claim he didn’t earn the privilege to party it up.
