“Love the name.” That’s what Michael Jordan himself told “that” girl Jordan Chiles! But why did he say that? Well, it’s no accident. Jordan Chiles wasn’t just born to dominate gymnastics, she was literally named after one of the greatest athletes ever. Her mom, Gina, is such a huge MJ fan that she couldn’t think of a better name for her daughter. And guess what? Jordan Chiles has been living up to that legendary name ever since! But it’s not just about the name. There’s a deeper, almost unspoken connection between them which she revealed on March 19.

In a recent Bleacher Report interview, Candace Parker—forever a WNBA icon—caught up with Jordan Chiles, and of course, the convo had to land on the GOAT, Michael Jordan! How could it not? Parker, being all about basketball, asked, “You grew up in a basketball family. You mentioned that you are named after my GOAT, Michael Jordan, and you also have an MJ-inspired tattoo.” But before Parker could even finish, Chiles—looking stunning with her sleek bun, nude makeup, a black off-shoulder top, and loose black pants—was already smiling, ready to jump in.

With a big smile that showed her excitement, Chiles jumped in, “I do. It’s on my left arm, and it says 23.” And here’s the fun part—Chiles has over 30 tattoos, but this one? It’s different. The number 23 isn’t just ink; it’s a nod to Michael Jordan, who chose it because his older brother wore #45 in high school, and he figured 23 was close to half of that. He even wore #23 for most of his 13 seasons with the Bulls, becoming one of the greatest players to ever grace the game. But is it just the similarity between the two? Of course not!

Jordan Chiles didn’t stop there. Her excitement was through the roof as she added, “I have a necklace that’s 23, all my shoes are Jordan, I have a jersey that’s 23, I’m 23—literally in my Jordan year. It’s great! Everything about it, I just love. And I’ve done a lot of things that he did when he was younger. Um, I’m pretty sure you’ve seen the shrug a lot. Um, I’ve gotten the flu game, so it’s been kind of, you know, the connection is there.” Wait, flu game?

Yep, she wasn’t kidding. We all remember the legendary 1997 NBA Finals when Michael Jordan battled through the flu and still led the Bulls to victory. Well, Chiles had her own version of that moment! On February 1, while still recovering from a brutal flu that had her burning up with a 104-degree fever earlier that week, she went out and crushed it—scoring her second perfect 10 of the season at the NCAA Week 5 meet. And just for fun, she helped UCLA pull off a massive upset over No. 5 Michigan State. Now that’s what you call living up to the name! But is this connection just one-sided? NOO.

Chiles isn’t the only one drawing inspiration from Michael Jordan. It turns out that MJ himself has been keeping an eye on her journey! And he was so impressed that he actually texted her from his personal number. But Chiles ignored it at first!

Jordan Chiles opens up about Michael Jordan’s unexpected message

Just before heading to the Paris Olympics, Jordan Chiles got the surprise of a lifetime—a text from Michael Jordan! She spilled all the details a few months later on the YouTube podcast Chicks in the Office about how she received a text from MJ! “Okay, so I was driving. I was like, ‘Wrong number!’ I thought somebody was pranking me!” she said, still in disbelief. After crushing it at practice, Chiles was in a great mood, chatting with her best friend on the phone when a random number popped up.

“I’m thinking it’s from Fashion Nova, ’cause you know Fashion Nova be sending you texts—‘sale, sale happening!’” She joked. She let it sit for a while, not even bothering to check, thinking, “Ain’t no way this is real.” But when she finally got home and decided to look at the message, her jaw hit the floor. “I looked, and it was like, ‘This is Michael Jordan,’ and I was like, ‘Hold on!’ I’m literally looking around the house, like, ‘Is anybody else seeing this?!’” Still doubting, she sent the message to her team.

“I was like, ‘Y’all, somebody confirm this or something, ’cause if this is actually him, I am throwing my phone through the window!’” Once they confirmed it was legit, Chiles was floored. But she had to be sure, so she replied, “Oh my gosh, thank you so much. I have no words. I’ll definitely cherish your name forever, trust me.” And MJ’s cool, calm response? “Okay, good. Thank you.” Chiles couldn’t believe it. That’s classic Chiles—full of excitement, a little disbelief, and always staying true to herself, even when a legend like Michael Jordan shows up in her inbox!