Restricted by Childhood Trauma, Michael Jordan Once Denied Michael Phelps 1 Opportunity Out of Fear

Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps are two of the greatest athletes of all time. Over the course of their careers, they dominated their opponents and etched their names in the history books of their respective sports. Notably, Phelps idolized Jordan growing up and “froze” when he first met the 6x NBA champion. Unsurprisingly, the two winners have a lot in common. Be it their obsession to win or their killer instinct. Interestingly, it also includes their love for golf.

The Chicago Bulls legend once stated that he was ready for a round of golf with the swimming legend. However, Jordan was not ready to jump into the pool with Phelps. This could be because of MJ’s childhood trauma.

Michael Jordan will only meet Michael Phelps on land

Michael Jordan is a huge golf aficionado. Over the years, Jordan has spent a lot of his time on the golf course perfecting his swings. The game demanded his focus which helped him away from the pressure of the NBA. The 5x NBA MVP has also participated in a lot of celebrity tournaments and also built his own luxury golf club as well. So it is no surprise that he offered to play golf with Michael Phelps when the two met for the first time in 2012.

Phelps was already one of the best Olympians at the time. Despite this, he could not contain his excitement when he met his idol that he even “froze”.

According to a report from USA Today, “I froze. That’s the one person in the world who could do that to me,” Phelps said afterward. “I literally have always looked up to him.”?He even called MJ “the greatest”.

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When Jordan was asked about his golf plans with Phelps, he said that he was ready. As per the report, “Anytime he’s ready, I’m ready,” said Jordan. “Except getting in the pool. I cannot swim, so I am not getting in the pool.”

While MJ is known for his fearlessness, he reportedly has aquaphobia, the fear of water.

Michael Jordan’s tragic experiences with water

MJ’s fear of water started when he was a young kid after a tragic childhood experience.

When Jordan was seven years old, one of his friends drowned in the ocean and passed away. MJ reportedly held his friend’s hand in an attempt to save him but failed. This tragic incident allegedly caused him fear of water. However, it did not end there.

A few years later, the young Mike himself had to be pulled out of a pool. Furthermore, one of his friends drowned during his time in college.

Because of his poor experiences with water, His Airness prefers not to swim and never properly learned how to. What are your thoughts on this?

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