Michael Jordan has been an icon ever since he came into the NBA. A high-flying scoring machine in his first few seasons, Jordan almost transcended the sport of basketball in his prime. He was seen as the ultimate winner, a superhero, someone that found a way to win against all the odds. And that made him a household name all around the world, and there are very few people that haven’t heard of MJ.
But when all this was happening, it wasn’t all positive. With great fame and acclaim came great responsibilities, people wanted Jordan to be the perfect person. Obviously, no human can ever be perfect and the limelight got so intense and draining for MJ, that it eventually led to his first retirement. A lot of his choices were scrutinized and analyzed at the time, especially his gambling.
Fans often tend to forget that their heroes are also just human at the end of the day, and MJ lived through that. He spoke about how fans wanted to live his life for a day, explaining that it was unfair if they weren’t willing to go through it for a longer period to truly understand his struggles. And his daughter once spoke out too, explaining that he is a regular person just like everyone else at the end of the day.
Michael Jordan’s Daughter Jasmine Spoke About Her Father’s Human Side
MJ was always about competing and winning, and a lot of his attention went into achieving that. This meant he wasn’t as socially involved as some would have liked. And in an interview in 2020, his daughter Jasmine reminded people that while Jordan is the GOAT, he is also a human being that can make mistakes from time to time.
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“He is this incredible phenom, and he’s the G.O.A.T., and everything along those lines. But he’s also human. He’s been super powerful, he’s been super successful, he’s been super vocal in his own right and his own way. And being a role model, which I don’t really think he ever expected to be. As long as everyone knows that he’s human at the end of the day and he is not a God and he makes mistakes just like everybody else then that’s his legacy.”
It is very hard to separate icons like MJ from who they are as individuals, but it’s an important thing to remember. He may have lived a life that few can claim to have, but it’s important to forgive even the greatest heroes for some of their shortcomings. Ultimately, Jordan will always be the GOAT for a lot of people, his legacy is very much set in stone in that regard.
