"Make me want your autograph": When Michael Jordan refused to sign a 10 YO Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s autograph, setting a challenge instead
Michael Jordan’s popularity and impact have long gone beyond the confines of basketball. Athletes from different sports, over the years, have told stories of how the Chicago Bulls legend shaped their lives in one way or another.
In an episode of the “On Base with Mookie Betts,” Miami Marlins star Jazz Chisholm Jr. said this about a childhood interaction with “His Airness:”
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"Michael Jordan is sneaking out of the back. I asked him for an autograph. He looks at me. He turns around and says, 'One day, make me want your autograph, kid.' He just walks off. Like, nothing else."
Chisholm Jr. is from the Bahamas where Michael Jordan is known to go often. The brief exchange between the basketball great and the youngster would prove to be one of the baseball player’s greatest motivations to succeed in his sport.
In 2015, Jazz Chisholm Jr. signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks before he was traded to the Miami Marlins in 2019. He waited patiently and honed his craft, longing for a debut in the major league.
In 2021, the Bahamian was named as the Marlins’ starting second baseman. The following year, he was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career. He started for the National League at second base.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., however, wasn’t able to play in the said game due to a lower right back strain.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. eventually made Michael Jordan want his signature
From his humble beginnings in the Bahamas, Jazz Chisholm Jr. ultimately made it to the MLB. He hasn’t had a meteoric rise in the major league, but he has been steadily proving his worth on the field. His popularity among fans started to grow as well.
In 2023, the now-starting center fielder for the Miami Marlins signed an endorsement deal with Michael Jordan’s brand. He became only the fifth baseball player to sign with Jumpman. Chisholm Jr. joined Mookie Betts, Aaron Judge, Vladimir Guerrero and David Price on Jordan’s MLB roster.
The Marlins All-Star released a statement following the announcement of the deal:
"It means everything to me. You know, I'm always the guy that never really wanted to do the same thing as people, I always wanted to be one of a few, you know, I mean not one of many, so it's great that this is what I always wanted and this is what I'm glad to be a part of."
Not bad for a kid who just wanted to have the Chicago Bulls superstar's autograph.