“Not letting them near the Messiah!” Michael Jordan’s STRUGGLE with women during peak fame explained by ex-teammate

A former Michael Jordan teammate recently revealed a story about the Bulls legend that puts his fame in perspective.

“Not letting them near the Messiah!” Michael Jordan’s STRUGGLE with women during peak fame explained by ex-teammate

Michael Jordan at the Bulls. (Image via Medium)

As one of the greatest basketball players in history, Michael Jordan‘s life was often under the microscope, both on and off the court. However, a lesser-known aspect of his legendary journey was his guarded social life during the peak of his fame. Recently,  Jordan’s former teammate, John Salley, shed light on the challenges Jordan faced in navigating relationships with women during his illustrious NBA career.

Speaking on Pierre’s Panic Room. Salley claimed that no one was allowed near the basketball icon. Salley emphasizes the extraordinary measures taken to shield Jordan, comparing it to his experiences traveling with other legends like Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles.

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To explain the kind of protection he got, Salley used the term ‘Messiah.’ He said:

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No. You think they’re letting people get to Michael Jordan? You’re tripping. This is what I say - I traveled with Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, that was traveling with right? They’re not letting anybody near ya’ll, dawg. You aint getting no stragglers because there are no stragglers. You’re not letting any of that riffraff near the Messiah. He is more important to the NBA than he is to the Bulls that there was nothing around.

Salley however, was able to convince MJ to go out with him, just once. This was during an Atlantic City trip:

I went out with Michael in Philly and I begged him to go out and he was like, ‘No, we’re going down to Atlantic City’ and I said, 'No man, forget that man; they are already on you, just come to the club.' He said, ‘Sal, I can’t go tonight. I got it hooked up. We go in the back way; I’ll smoke cigars in there.

Michael Jordan had to be careful in public due to extreme fame

Contrary to the perception of NBA players enjoying their nightlife, Salley revealed that Jordan actively avoided such scenarios, simply because of how often he would get mobbed when out in public. Even when invited by Salley to go to nightclubs, Jordan declined, opting for a more lowkey night-out.

Giannis Antetokounmpo after the foul on him from Collins Sexton (Via Dunkest)
Giannis Antetokounmpo after the foul on him from Collins Sexton (Via Dunkest)

Of course, MJ quickly became a bit of a phenomenon in the league. Despite not winning his first title until 1991, Jordan was already seen as one of the best players to have ever graced the NBA. This led to a kind of public attention that has only rarely been seen since and wasn’t until then.

Following in his footsteps, a range of legends have come up, further expanding his impact on the league. This, was something very apparent for Salley and the entire Bulls organization right from the start, who did their best to protect the legend.

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