When Ray Allen religiously followed his routine of arriving at the arena exactly 3 hours and 30 minutes before tipoff to perfect his shooting rhythm, or Karl Malone’s unwavering pre-game ritual of whispering to himself before free throws, it showed how deeply superstitions were woven into the fabric of NBA greatness. Now, a former Chicago Bulls forward has unveiled yet another peculiar ritual from the game’s greatest player, Michael Jordan, demonstrating that even the GOAT wasn’t immune to these psychological quirks.

In the recent episode of the ‘Byron Scott’s Fast Break’ podcast, John Salley revealed what he dubbed a “psycho” superstition of Jordan’s that the six-time NBA champion would meticulously measure his socks to ensure they were exactly equal in length before stepping onto the court 28-years-ago. “My locker was here at the United Center and he was right here and I would watch him tie, put his sock up and then look at this sock and then had to be the same height and then he would, everything had to be, like he was a gladiator. And I was like I don’t even think people realize how psycho this dude is. You got to pull his shirt out a little bit, it’s going to piss him off. It needs to be tucked perfectly,” said Salley in the podcast.

This sock-measuring ritual wasn’t Jordan’s only superstition. During every game of his illustrious career, His Airness religiously wore his University of North Carolina shorts under his Bulls uniform. This didn’t just apply to sentiment, Jordan believed that these shorts carried him the same success in his college days when he made the championship-winning shot in 1982. This is the only reason that Jordan wore longer Bulls shorts to cover his college shorts. However, the list doesn’t end here.

Jordan while speaking on NBA 2K14’s ‘Michael Jordan Uncensored: Part Two revealed that he used to wear a new pair of shoes before every game. “You feel energetic, you feel like you’ve got something to showcase. I wanted that feeling every game,” said Jordan on the feeling that he got from wearing the new shoes. Not only this but during an interview with Playboy Magazine, the Chicago Bulls veteran revealed that he would also wear a new pair of socks before every game, would lace up his shoes in a particular way and would even always check if his family was present during the game or not. ” I always notice where my wife or my parents are so I don’t have to worry if they got in an accident or didn’t get the tickets or whatever,” said Jordan during the Play Boy Magazine interview.

Salley’s recent disclosure adds to the mystique of Jordan’s legacy, showing that even the most dominant athlete in basketball history relied on personal rituals to maintain his competitive edge. However, this isn’t the only insight given by Salley during the podcast.

The moment John Salley realized Michael Jordan was the GOAT

During the podcast Salley, the four-time NBA champion, shared a poignant memory of the moment he realized Michael Jordan was truly the greatest of all time (GOAT). Salley, who played alongside Jordan on the Chicago Bulls during their second three-peat, recalled a specific practice session.

Salley stated that initially, the coach of the Chicago Bulls in 1986, Phil Jackson had asked Jordan to go home without any reason. The 6x champion who was confused at first stayed back on the court and later had an intensive practice session. “We’re playing, and all of a sudden I’m running back, and MJ gets a steal. I see him going up for a right-hand dunk, and I think, ‘I know exactly what dunk you’re going to try, and I’m getting this. I don’t care.’ I drop step, turn around, and just as I’m about to jump, his midsection is moving past my face. You try to bring yourself down at that point, but he’s like, ‘Block this, b**h!’ Boom. He dunked it,” said Salley during the podcast.

After the session was over Salley went over to his hotel room, which was by the side of the practice facility and called up his mother to state how great Jordan was. “I call my mother, and she says, ‘How is it?’ I say, ‘Ma, I just saw the greatest player of all time.’ She says, ‘It took you this long to admit it?” said Salley during the podcast. For Salley, that moment solidified his belief in Jordan’s GOAT status. He witnessed firsthand the extraordinary talent, the unwavering determination, and the exceptional leadership that made Jordan a legend. And while many have debated Jordan’s place in history, Salley’s firsthand account leaves no doubt in his mind of how great Jordan was.