*Michael Jordan’s knack for unbelievable basketball game play is well documented, but his ritual before taking the floor for a home game may surprise folk expecting a strict healthy regimen.
Taking it back to 2005, Basketball Network unveiled the origin behind Jordan’s appreciation for cigars. According to the NBA legend, it came after Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf gifted him his first cigar when the Bulls captured their first championship in 1991.
Although the sight of Jordan smoking a stogie was done to mark a notable achievement, the move evolved into a pre-game ritual as the calm before Jordan rained down b-ball superiority over the opposing team over the latter part of his sports career.
“In Chicago, I tell people this, and they have to understand the context of what happened,” the six-time Finals MVP told Cigar Aficionado editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken during an interview for the publication. “We had to be to the stadium at 6 o’clock for home games, and traffic was so bad it would take us an hour and 15 or an hour and 30 minutes to drive. So now I’m sitting in a car for almost an hour and a half, and I’m very tense. I’m worried about the traffic. So I started smoking a cigar going to the games. In 1993. It became a ritual for every home game.”
And the rest, they say, is history.
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With Jordan being what many consider to be the G.O.A.T. of pro basketball; the consequence of smoking is sort of sidestepped
Still, what is it about cigars that had the “Space Jam” star indulging on a frequent basis?
To hear him tell it, the pressure to be at his best for every game was a factor. But “a sense of relaxation” from smoking a cigar struck a perfect balance to get him ready to give his all on the hardwood.
“I never rushed. It became such a relaxing thing to do. Not many people know about it. When they read this, they’ll know that each and every day for a home game, I smoked a cigar,” Jordan added. “I wanted that feeling of success and relaxation. It’s the most relaxing thing.”
‘Nuff said. Game over.
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