?I?m Not That Old?: Roger Federer, Who Recently Announced His Retirement, Once Triggered Michael Jordan Despite Calling Him His ?Childhood Hero?

NBA all-time great Michael Jordan and tennis superstar Roger Federer are two of the most popular athletes in the world. Even though it has been some years since Jordan retired from the game of basketball, his popularity has not wavered. Most renowned athletes around the world now, grew up watching MJ dominate his opponents on the hardwood. And “The Swiss Maestro” was no different. Growing up, Federer watched a lot of basketball games and was a huge fan of the Chicago Bulls superstar.

At the time, Jordan and Nike were revolutionizing the sneaker culture around the world with the Air Jordan brand. And a 7 years old Federer became a huge fan of the Air Jordan IIIs which were released in 1988. The fan then became one of the most successful players in tennis history. And in 2014, he had the opportunity to work with the legendary Jordan himself. Also, work on the iconic Air Jordan IIIs inspired tennis shoes.

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The tennis superstar approached Air Jordan and disclosed his desire to wear a Jordan shoe on the tennis court. So the Hall of Famer and Federer collaborated on the Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour AJ3 ahead of the 2014 US Open.

The ultimate collaboration of Michael Jordan and Roger Federer

When Jordan heard Federer wanted to model the shoe based on the Air Jordan IIIs, he was excited. However, he wanted RF to be involved in the design to make sure it is functional. And it must allow him to perform well on the court. And the 20-time Grand Slam winner happily obliged. When MJ and Federer sat down for a video discussing the shoe, Federer disclosed Jordan was his hero when he was growing up. And MJ’s response was hilarious.

Federer said, “I must say though, just having you being in the world of tennis for a little bit is incredible. You were a hero of mine growing up…”?Jordan cut in and replied, “I’m not that old. I’m not that old.” And the two legends just laughed it out. Federer also gave props to the iconic designer Tinker Hatfield who designed the Air Jordan IIIs.

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There are not many who could turn a superstar like Roger Federer into a fanboy. But Michael Jordan certainly could. However, the six-time NBA champion knows the achievements of Federer over the course of his long and illustrious career. Recently, Federer announced that he will retire after the 2022 Laver Cup.

However, there are concerns about his involvement in the tournament because of his fitness. As per reports, Federer will decide about that at the last moment.