Paris’s glittering and beautiful streets, with their historical cafes, artistic structures, fashionable people, and alluring aura, have always aesthetically appealed to Michael Jordan.
This rare photo of Michael trying to dwarf one of the world’s marvelous wonders taken at Champ de Mars in 1985 is truly an iconic relic of the past.
Michael Jordan’s love for Paris
The city of Paris always fascinated Jordan. Perhaps it reminded him of the artistry and conviction in his game.
Jordan used to travel to Paris almost every other summer in the offseason. This rare photograph was taken during his first visit to Paris, only a year after the Bulls drafted him as the third overall pick.
The photo displays his overarching passion for soaring high above everything else, even the great Eiffel tower. It also reveals his charismatic ability to engage an audience.
via Getty
Jordan was still a relatively unknown personality in Paris. He could enjoy walking the beautiful streets of Paris, visiting the Louvre( or ‘the Luge” as he used to call it), and enjoying the gentle breeze coming from the rippling Seine without getting mobbed.
But times would change in a few years.
The McDonald’s championship in 1997
The McDonald’s championship in 1997 was probably the biggest international tournament that the Bulls played. The 5-time NBA champion Bulls side faced big names of European and world basketball, like Barcelona, Olympiacos, and PSG.
However, the show was all about ‘L’Idole’, or ‘His Airness’, as the french press and fans called Jordan. People genuinely looked upon him as a god.
Naturally, he could no longer walk alone in the streets of Paris. ”It’s hard for me to go anywhere unnoticed and to get out in public without people bothering me” Jordan had said at a press conference for the tournament.
This showcased NBA as one of the many influential cultural exports of America. Thousands of fans accosted the Bulls wherever they went. The games were sold out, and a gathering of fans and journalists always stalked the arenas and hotel lobbies.
Jordan’s fame was on full display once again after the 1992 Olympics. Incidentally, French youngsters voted him the most popular athlete in the world a few years back.
Rodman and Pippen couldn’t play in the tournament due to injury. But that didn’t deter the Bulls from winning the whole thing. Jordan didn’t disappoint his international fans either. He was magnificent as usual as a leader and as a player.
