Michael Jordan, highly perceived as the greatest NBA athlete, is also recognized as one of the greatest athletes in the world of sports. Michael Jordan’s spell with the Chicago Bulls, after his 1984 draft, was marked by remarkable achievements, during which he won an astonishing six NBA championships.
Another legend, David Beckham, who equally achieved remarkable feats in the football world, shared his unforgettable thrilled moment with Michael Jordan, along with other big names. He also discusses how he embraced Michael Jordan’s legacy.
David Beckham’s unforgettable dinner with Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan and David Beckham, during their heyday, dominated their respective fields. The story in Beckham’s 2003 autobiography, where the former English star disclosed details of him and his company having dinner in a London restaurant before spotting Michael Jordan, proves mutual respect between the professionals.
Beckham stated, “When we looked across the room and saw Our Man at the same time… Michael Jordan, sitting in the corner, puffing on the biggest cigar I’d ever seen in my life,” per EssentiallySports.
Beckham, have been starstruck from meeting one of his “all-time heroes,” and he was even more astonished upon seeing those sitting next to Jordan. Madonna, Pop star Ricky Martin and then Gucci head Tom Ford, were all sitting next to Jordan and chatting.
The scene was so amazing that Beckham and his company couldn’t take their eyes off. According to Beckham, a moment later, he was perplexed, when he received an expensive bottle of champagne, which was accompanied by greetings and congratulations, from Jordan and Madonna, following the birth of Beckham’s son.
Beckham embraced Michael Jordan’s legacy through jersey number
David Beckham, after switching from Manchester United to the La Liga giants Real Madrid in 2003, couldn’t maintain his favorite jersey number 7, as club icon Raul had it. Beckham then had to pick up the number 23, which was influenced by the NBA legend Jordan.
Jordan, made the number 23 jersey popular, after his impressive stint at the Bulls, with an amazing six NBA championships. Beckham in 2012, admitted to picking the number 23 because of Jordan. Beckham said, “I chose the number 23 because of Michael Jordan. When I first joined Real Madrid, I’d worn number 7 for many years for Manchester United.”
Also, Beckham disclosed the difficulty of him getting the number 7 jersey off Raul as Beckham shared, “So, 23 was available and I’d always been a huge fan of Jordan and I’ve loved him as a player and a person.”
Beckham also showered praise on Jordan, acknowledging his achievements, as he expressed being a massive fan of Jordan. Regrettably, when Beckham made the move to AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, he couldn’t secure the number 23. However, he continued to incorporate the digits 2 and 3, opting for the number 32 at both clubs.
