Cool story about an encounter with MJ

[Let's Go Cats 218]

So, I haven't posted this on BCP before, but in light of all the anti-MJ stories out there, I thought I'd tell one experience that I had (indirectly) with MJ.

The year we made the playoffs, I was a season ticket holder. As you know, it was very difficult to find authentic jerseys at the team store or online. I got sort of fed up with it, so I went to the arena on my lunch break one Tuesday afternoon to complain a little about it. I went to the team store and they said "Sorry, maybe by December." DECEMBER??!!

So I said what the heck, while I am still here, I'll take a walk around the concourse until someone stops me. I was walking around the lower level and I saw a tall black man in nice clothes walking next to an ENORMOUS man, looked like a bodyguard. I usually don't do this, but I shouted "Hey, MJ!". They stopped and turned around... sure enough, it was Michael Jordan. I said "I can barely afford the season tickets I have, and all I want to do is spend more $$ on an authentic jersey but y'all won't even let me buy one! What gives?" I said it half-jokingly... MJ didn't say anything, but said something to his bodyguard. The big fella walked up to me and told me to walk down to the parking lot with him.

At this point, I thought I was going to be murdered for shouting at MJ and not calling him Mr. Jordan. The large man brought me down to his Escalade and said "Who are your favorite players?" I told him GW, Chandler, and Felton. He reached into a box and pulled out 3 size 52 authentic home jerseys, autographed by the respective players. He gave them to me and said "I better not see any of these on Ebay." He took down my name and # just to be sure.

I just thought that was awesome. MJ really is a good guy, and I'm glad he's our owner! It just sucks that none of them play for us anymore AND we changed jerseys... lol

/story

[ND22]

That's awesome. Pays to be bold sometimes.

[Proudiddy]

Man, awesome story.

I really appreciate these stories compared to the "MJ stole my girlfriend" and "MJ's an a-hole" ones, lol. It reminds me of when I was a kid and how everyone looked up to him as botha player but a good guy. Regardless of his faults, he has donated quite a bit of money to charities and then there's stories like these too. Really cool.

I'm still proud of MJ as our owner and I really hope we can turn it around quickly to shut all the haters up. He's like the Lebron of owners right now, lol.

[TheBeagle]

Great story, Cats. I've been very fortunate enough to meet MJ twice as a youth, both at an event called the Crosby, which was a celebrity charity golf tourhament in Bermuda Run in Davie County that was held in May.

The first year I met him was '86, and it was just after his coming out party performance against the Celtics in his first playoff appearance. I had just turned 6 but I was old enough to worship one man (other than my pops of course) and that was MJ. Even though he was a burgeoning superstar he wasn't yet an icon so my parents flagged him down and we talked with him for 5 minutes or so, autographed my Sky Jordans and replica jersey and took a picture with me. Even at that age, it felt like a dream and I don't think I came down from it for a couple days.

On my birthday the following year, my mom said she had a surprise present for me and handed me a big, thick envelope. I turned it over and it had the Bulls logo and letterhead at the top, addressed to me. I slid the slots open and my mouth dropped as I was holding an 8x10 glossy photo of MJ with a personalized autograph to me, wishing me "Happy Birthday, Michael!" with his signature just below. This was and still is the greatest material possesion of my life. Seems mom had asked him if she could have a contact number so that she could call and request this gift from him near my birthday...and he agreed!!!

In May of '88 we went to the Crosby again with no idea at all that we'd be able to meet MJ as he had become an icon and superduperstar by then. We saw him from a distance but he was being hounded by folks and now had to be driven around in a cart to avoid the mobs. Somehow though, by some fluke, or maybe not considering MJ's golf game, but he happend to slice a drive in the area near where we were walking. We didn't know it was his ball to he was approaching with security and as he got we got into his sightline, he took a little bit of a double take, and mom showed him the picture he had taken with me two years previous, he said, and I quote, "I know, I know who y'all are; I'm just wondering where you were last year" and laughed. He took the picture and signed it and that was about all we could do before the mob arrived and MJ had to back away and have security take over.

Like I said, I've been very fortunate to have met him...right place, right time kinda thing because that would be his last year at the Crosby since he'd be playing deep into the playoffs from then on. However much the money and fame may have changed him, just know at least that at his core, MJ was (and like Cats shows in his post, still is) a great human being, personable, charitable and gracious.

[Twan's Kin]

So, I haven't posted this on BCP before, but in light of all the anti-MJ stories out there, I thought I'd tell one experience that I had (indirectly) with MJ.

The year we made the playoffs, I was a season ticket holder.

At this point, I thought I was going to be murdered for shouting at MJ and not calling him Mr. Jordan. The large man brought me down to his Escalade and said "Who are your favorite players?" I told him GW, Chandler, and Felton. He reached into a box and pulled out 3 size 52 authentic home jerseys, autographed by the respective players. He gave them to me and said "I better not see any of these on Ebay." He took down my name and # just to be sure.

I just thought that was awesome. MJ really is a good guy, and I'm glad he's our owner! It just sucks that none of them play for us anymore AND we changed jerseys... lol

/story

How much do you want for the GW jersey?