During a recent interview, ESPN broadcaster Curt Bloom revealed a story that many people may not know about Michael Jordan. Apparently, a famous media outlet rubbed the six-time NBA champion the wrong way. And guess what? They had to pay the price for it as Jordan felt that he was not ‘respected’ enough.
When Michael Jordan made his debut in baseball, he was 31 years old, and despite being a rookie, he showcased a strong work ethic and exceptional dedication. And it wasn’t without reason. There was resentment that Jordan’s fame let him skip ahead in baseball. Placed directly in Double-A despite not playing since high school, many felt he should have started in rookie ball. As The Last Dance explains, owner Jerry Reinsdorf chose Double-A because lower levels couldn’t handle the media attention. Hence, only Jordan’s work ethic could overcome that skepticism.
So, he had a point to prove, as Curt Bloom claimed that the Bulls legend wanted nothing more than to be judged and appreciated for the work he’s putting in.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“It’s been like my goal, which is respect. That’s the one thing that you want is for people to believe you and respect what you’re trying to do. I don’t think he [Jordan] had a number, but I definitely, absolutely know that he wanted to prove people wrong,” Bloom stated on The Skylar Lara Podcast.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The ESPN broadcaster mentioned that Michael Jordan took respect very seriously. That’s because in 1994, Sports Illustrated published an article with the title “Bag It, Michael.” This was an attempt by the media outlet to let Jordan know that he was embarrassing the sport of baseball while dubbing him “Err Jordan”. This left a sour taste in his mouth as he proceeded to never entertain Sports Illustrated‘s requests for interviews.
“It’s interesting because I would talk with the guy who wrote the story on Sports Illustrated. He did not write the headline. He makes that perfectly clear. The headline said, ‘Bag it, Michael,’” Curt Bloom added. “But Michael was so mad at that, he banned Sports Illustrated. He wouldn’t talk to them. I don’t know if he does now, but he didn’t. And again, so now he’s on a mission to prove to these people.”
Well, Bloom was spot on, as MJ had himself admitted, “That’s the problem I still have with Sports Illustrated. I haven’t talked to them since they had that cover. And I’m going to hold to it. What they said was totally wrong. Totally wrong. They didn’t even have an understanding of the situation.” He had also pointed out the inconsistency in public perception, comparing his situation to that of country singer Garth Brooks, who also attempted baseball at an older age.
Well, the writer who published the article on Michael Jordan opened up about it decades later. And unsurprisingly, he wasn’t proud about it as he admitted that he wasn’t being nice about the NBA legend’s baseball endeavor. Here’s what he had to say.
Writer revealed regret over the Jordan story after 26 years
In 2020, Steve Wulf, the writer of “Bag It, Michael,” expressed regret for his harsh critique of Michael Jordan. He clarified that he had no role in crafting the headline, which didn’t reflect the tone of his article. While his positive comments about Jordan were largely overlooked, Wulf understood why the NBA legend felt slighted and chose to snub Sports Illustrated thereafter.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“Going back and reading my original story, it was snarky. And I was pretty hard on him. But it certainly didn’t match the headline that Sports Illustrated put on the cover. I did acknowledge in the story that he was working hard and that he was willing to go from being ‘The Guy’ to being one of the guys,” the writer told NBC Sports. “I think he was rightly insulted. He wasn’t out to embarrass baseball. He was out to pursue a dream that we thought at the time was delusional, but we should not have come down on him that hard.”