15 Years After Michael Jordan Rejection, Proud 25YO MLB Star Unveils 1 Anecdote Imparted by Bulls Legend

NBA icon Michael Jordan continues to inspire millions of young athletes in various parts of the world. The likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and most of the other stars of this generation looked up to His Airness. However, his reach wasn’t limited to basketball. A 25-year-old MLB superstar revisited an anecdote involving MJ. It is safe to say life has come full circle for the Miami Marlins star as he just signed with the Jordan brand.

The Jordan brand is the biggest source of revenue for the billionaire. Everyone, from players to fans, wants to get their hands on the latest pair of Jordans. There are a few lucky athletes who get signed with the brand and it serves as one of the biggest moments in their lives, as was the case with Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Life comes full circle for the Miami Marlins star

Jazz Chisholm features as a second baseman and a center fielder for the Miami Marlins. Till now he has scored an impressive 50 home runs and has got a batting average of .248. The 25-year-old is the latest athlete to enter the Jordan brand roster. He recently opened up on the time he met Michael Jordan when he was young and how the Chicago Bulls legend motivated him to be where he is today.

Chisholm said, “Michael Jordan had a celebrity softball game in the Bahamas. I was ten years old, Jordan’s sneaking out of the back. I ask him for an autograph. He looks at me, he turns around and said, ‘One day make me want your autograph kid’ and walks off.” 

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He continued, “When I got into professional baseball, I told my agent that was one of the main things that we worked to, is to get this Jordan deal. I already customized some painted Jordans waiting on these to get to the big leagues.” The Bahamas international further revealed that the Jordan brand reached out to him, impressed with the designs, and asked him to wait for a year.

Even though he signed with Nike on a two-year-deal, as soon as Jordan came in for him, his mind was made up. Jazz is now a part of the Jordan brand on a multi-million dollar deal and he vowed to give MJ his autograph. A lot has been said about the Jordan brand and their legendary sneakers, Air Jordans, but MJ might have moved elsewhere after some poor designs if not for one man.

Tinker Hatfield comes to the rescue

Years back, when Michael Jordan was all set to jump ship and leave Nike for greener pastures, designer Tinker Hatfield pitched the Air Jordans III to MJ with his very own logo on the show despite Nike rejecting the idea. He took a risky move to let Jordan know that he can use his very own logo instead of the Nike Swoosh. MJ loved the idea and stayed with Nike. The rest, as they say, is history.

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Air Jordans is a multi-billion dollar brand built on the back of greatness portrayed by MJ on the basketball court. What are your thoughts on Chisholm’s story? Let us know in the comments below.