As successful on the court as in the business world, Michael Jordan simply doesn’t lose. While several factors could be credited for MJ’s on-court success, his financial triumphs lie in making the right investments at the right time. However, there is one in particular that even former MLB star Alex Rodriguez wishes he could’ve been a part of.

During the latest episode of the Bloomberg Podcast, Sportradar’s founder and CEO Carsten Koerl reveals to Rodriguez that it was Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis’ network through the league that was of real help to him. It was through him that Jordan, who played for the Wizards, connected with Korel to eventually invest in the company.

Rodriguez, somewhat an investment mind himself, CEO of A-Rod Corp, with primary involvement in sports, entertainment, and real estate, wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on the opportunity. “I’m also going to pick a bone with him [Leonsis] like ‘how can you not call me for this great investment. You called Michael,'” the ex-MLB star expresses.

Michael Jordan, along with Marc Cuban and Leonsis, made the investment in the sports tech company in 2015.

As per a 2015 article by the Washington Post, the company by the time was gathering data from 325,000+ live sporting events across the globe. The events ranged from darts to tennis, from soccer to snooker, and many more.

Since then, Jordan’s involvement with Koerl’s sports tech company has grown. In fact, the Chicago Bulls legend joined the company’s Board of Directors as special advisor in 2021 as the company went public with an $8 billion valuation.

The time Michael Jordan became the “cheerleader” for Carsten Koerl

During his earlier discussion on the Bloomberg Podcast, the founder and CEO of Sportradar revealed an instance where he wasn’t doing so great. “I’ve been standing there short after Covid with Michael Jordan. He said to me in the morning. He said ‘Carsten, today I’m your cheerleader’. And I only smiled,” Koerl recalled. Notably, the 6x NBA champ was not just an investor but among the early investors in Sportradar.

So it’s understandable for Koerl to have a great deal of respect for His Airness. He made that evident as he handed His Airness his flowers on the podcast. “He is, I think, the most competitive person on the planet I know, and learning from him, that spirit I want to win was and is, for me, a great exercise,” Koerl said.

And Michael Jordan has had a similar level of respect for the $3 Billion company’s founder and CEO. During one interview, Mike stated the reason behind his investment was his belief in Koerl’s vision and passion. But there is no denying that this partnership would not have come into existence without Ted Leonsis. Now it’s to be seen what answers the 67-year-old will have for Alex Rodriguez when he appears on the podcast with him.

Stay tuned for more such updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show.” Our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.