Despite having a brief stint in professional baseball, Michael Jordan left an indelible impression on everyone around him. While His Airness took his time to develop his skills at the diamond, his competitive nature was on full display, even during travel.
Birmingham Barons manager Terry Francona witnessed this trait firsthand and was shocked to observe the lengths to which the six-time Finals MVP would go to ensure victory, even in a simple dice game like Yahtzee.
Michael traveled in style
Although Mike's baseball talent may have been ordinary, his global superstar status afforded him unique privileges when he joined the Barons. One of which was that instead of traveling in a regular bus between cities for games, Jordan leveraged his fame to travel in style—in a luxury ride dubbed the 'Jordan Bruiser.' Naturally, the Barons' coaching staff and teammates enjoyed these perks alongside him.
However, it also gave all of them the opportunity to see a different side of the New York native - one that was fun-loving and adventurous, especially when he went as far as climbing behind the wheel.
"We made a switch, probably going 70 miles an hour, and our bus driver got up, and Michael sat in there and went straight, " Barons broadcaster Curt Bloom said . "I certainly hope this doesn't get anybody in trouble. The Department of Transportation, we're sorry."
Acknowledging Bloom's statement and the varying laws from state to state, it's possible that the five-time MVP would be required to possess a commercial driver's license in some areas. However, until it didn't matter, Mike thoroughly enjoyed riding his teammates.
Related: When Shaquille O'Neal admitted he used to hate Larry Bird: "I was sort of jealous of him"
Jordan showed a different side to his team members
Interestingly, driving the bus wasn't Mike's only source of entertainment during road trips. When he wasn't in the driver's seat, he could often be found in the back, allegedly cheating at Yahtzee. Barons manager Terry Francona was consistently amazed by the lengths to which Mike would go to avoid losing despite having all the money in the world.
"We'd play Yahtzee on every road trip on the bus," Francona said . "He's the richest man in America, the best basketball player ever, and I'm making $29,000 a year. And he's cheating at Yahtzee to take my money because he just can't bear to lose."
As it was all fun and games between Terry and Mike, the former only developed a protective nature for the 14-time All-Star during his time with the Barons. Despite MJ being relentlessly bashed for choosing to switch to baseball, he didn't allow the negativity to dampen his spirits. So, even if Francona did lose by cheating, he managed to keep Mr Air's never-lose-at-any-cost attitude alive.
Related: "I'm gonna bring a different color Ferrari every day this week" - How Michael Jordan responded to Antoine Walker coming to practice in Ferrari
Local News
Comments / 0