It is not an understatement to say that earning respect from Michael Jordan is hard. The Chicago Bulls icon was notorious for disrespecting both teammates and fellow legends. It was very difficult to earn his true respect and acknowledgment as an athlete. Many tried and failed, but one Chicago Cubs legend managed to do so. This is none other than Sammy Sosa, who joined a short list of legends that Jordan acknowledged over the years.

Sosa was a Chicago legend, having spent the majority of his baseball career with the Cubs. In 1998, Jordan honored the Cubs legend during a special game and allowed Sosa to take the limelight. This was despite having won his 6th NBA Championship just months before.

Michael Jordan donned a Sammy Sosa jersey while throwing out the first pitch at Wrigley Stadium in 1998

In 1998, Michael Jordan threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the NL Wild Card tie-breaker game. The Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants had finished with the same record, needing a tie-breaker to decide who made the playoffs. While throwing the pitch, he honored Cubs icon Sammy Sosa by wearing the star outfielder?s #21 jersey. MLB insider Hector Gomez shared a video of the moment on Twitter.?

In the Tweet, Gomez said, ?Here is a sample of the extraordinary levels of importance and popularity that Sammy Sosa reached in MLB. Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs continue to ignore him??. In the video, one can see Jordan throw a wild, off-target pitch at Sosa before half-embracing the Cubs star. Despite the awkward throw, Jordan’s luck seemed to rub off on the Cubs as they won the game 5-3.

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The Bulls legend clearly had an extremely positive impression of the outfielder, allowing Sosa to be the star of the night. Jordan also has a close relationship with Derek Jeter, having tipped his hat to the New York Yankees legend?s competitiveness. But getting back to Sosa, his career is now tainted by his reported PEDs use, despite achieving legendary feats.?

Sammy Sosa tested positive for PEDs

Sammy Sosa is widely considered a baseball legend, but a 2009 New York Times article revealed a shocking truth. According to the NY Times piece, Sosa was one of 104 MLB stars that tested positive for PEDs in 2003. The article changed people?s perceptions of Sosa?s career and ultimately kept him out of the Baseball Hall Of Fame.?

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The star outfielder achieved some amazing feats during his career and was involved in iconic moments. Nobody will forget that Michael Jordan wore Sosa?s jersey while throwing out that first pitch. What do you think of Michael Jordan acknowledging Sammy Sosa?s greatness? Kindly share your opinion down below!