Contrary to popular belief, Michael Jordan didn’t always pay attention to his body during his big league run. An ex-teammate thus revealed one of his very bad habits, in his early years… Fortunately, he was able to get rid of it afterwards!
The list of true friends of Michael Jordan during his career was not very long, as far as NBA players are concerned. Nevertheless, a name quickly comes up in the discussion, that of Charles Oakley. The inside debuted in 1985 for the Chicago side, as the six-time champion entered his sophomore year. As he recently explained during the podcast All The Smoke, it didn’t take long before they became great buddies:
We just bonded and went everywhere together. On a road trip, him and me. At the airport – most of the time I was running with him. We went to play table tennis, swimming, we played cards. I didn’t cook as well back then, but my cooking has improved during this time.
Clearly the two men shared a special relationship. While His Airness shone on the courts, The Oak served as his bodyguard against overzealous opponents. And when you know the guard’s talents as a trash-talker, it happened often… It’s no surprise that Mike was furious to learn of his friend’s trade to New York in 1988. He had then lost his protection …
Jordan a big fan of McDonald’s in his early days
Anyway, Oakley is therefore well placed to tell anecdotes about his ex-teammate, especially concerning the start of his career. On this subject, he particularly challenged by his story on the diet of Taurus. While one might think that the latter would be extremely careful about what he ate, it turns out that he was rather fond of food… not very dietetic, one will say:
We ate a lot of McDonald’s back then. MJ ate McDonald’s every morning for breakfast. And before games, he ate steaks before every game.
Jordan, fast food fan? This is something that may surprise, coming from him. No. 23 is known for his phenomenal work ethic, and imagining him devouring fatty foods on a daily basis might seem odd coming from him. However, this did not prevent him from slaughtering everyone in the match…
McDonald’s on the menu every morning and red meat in the evening, it’s a “diet” that can hasten the end of a career. Michael Jordan has been able to put that habit aside over time, however, working hard to stay on top for as long as possible.
