After seeing Michael Jordan dance, the NBA's vice president of talent relations had one piece of advice for His Airness
Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is widely viewed as one of the most competitive and multi-skilled athletes of all time. However, there is one skill that the Bulls legend may not possess: dancing.
Jordan once demonstrated his dance skills alongside the hip-hop and R&B group Full Force. This came during his “The First Dance” performance on the set of his 1990 documentary “Michael Jordan’s Playground.” Following his dance number, Jordan then received some humorous advice from NBA vice president of talent relations Leah Wilcox.
According to Wilcox, she jokingly told the Bulls legend to focus on what he does best.
“Stick to playing basketball,” Wilcox said.
However, it’s worth noting that Wilcox had a reputation for encouraging players to show different sides to themselves in the 1980s and 1990s. Wilcox did so in an effort to help players become better known in mainstream entertainment and thus more relatable to fans. This earned her the moniker “Big Sis” among players at the time.
Wilcox was also known to be very close to Jordan after bonding with him on the sets of his 1989 documentary “Michael Jordan: Come Fly with Me.” So, she was clearly just having some fun with one of the league’s top stars when she jokingly called out his questionable dance moves.
Leah Wilcox on her relationship with Michael Jordan
Speaking of her relationship with Michael Jordan, Leah Wilcox once described herself as someone Jordan always trusted as a familiar face at public events. She added that she always did everything she could to get the Bulls legend to properly market himself.
“With Michael, I was more that recognizable face whenever we were going to do an interview with him or set up stuff that involved him,” Wilcox said.
“I was just Leah, and I got to be trusted by Michael and by those in his circle. I was also that nag, that pain in the neck. When he said no, I would beg him to do whatever.”
Wilcox added that Jordan eventually reached a level of fame during his career far above any other player she ever worked with.
“He could never just be Michael,” Wilcox said.
“With his celebrity, the little things like walking to the park, he couldn’t do that.”
Luckily for Jordan, his fame and personal brand led him to become the most marketable athlete in the world. This in turn contributed to his massive $2 billion net worth as of today.