When Michael Jordan decided to refrain from wicked activities for unblemished career: “I am just as guilty as everybody else that’s in this room”
When Michael Jordan retired from playing basketball, his legacy continued to grow. In addition to the rise of his net worth thanks to Jordan Brand, stories continued to emerge about the Hall of Famer both on and off the court. The tales of brutal trash talk, massive gambling wins and quick wit only added to Jordan's larger-than-life persona.
What many fans weren't aware of was the sideshow of activities taking place in the Bulls' locker room when he was first drafted. During the first episode of "The Last Dance," Jordan reflected on the rude awakening he had. Jordan found teammates with cocaine, marijuana and women.
As he recalled, he had never seen anything like it, let alone from professional athletes. The incident left him in a tough spot, but in typical MJ fashion, he didn't hesitate to speak his mind. With no regard for the fact that he was just a young kid, he spoke up to the whole team:
"So, the first thing I said, ‘Look, man, I’m out,’" Jordan said. "Because all I can think about (is) if they come and raid this place right about now, I am just as guilty as everybody else that’s in this room. From that point on, I was more or less on my own.”
You can hear him recalling the situation during The Last Dance in the video above.
Michael Jordan's lone arrest warrant
During his time in the league, Jordan kept himself out of legal trouble. Although he had a love for gambling, he never allowed his off-court activities to get him into a bad situation with the exception of one incident.
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During Michael Jordan's time with the Chicago Bulls, the superstar found himself in some hot water. After being pulled over for driving 90 miles an hour, Jordan was not in possession of his driver's license. A subsequent hearing date was scheduled, which Jordan never attended, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest.
Fortunately for Jordan, his agent paid the fine the following day, clearing his name by paying $102.50 to the court.
The one rumor that followed Michael Jordan throughout his career
Despite keeping himself out of legal trouble, there's one very big conspiracy theory that has followed Jordan around for years. As the theory goes, Jordan was caught gambling on games, and rather than publicly suspend him, NBA commissioner David Stern gave him the opportunity to "retire" for a year and a half.
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Although there has never been any proven truth to the matter, Jordan addressed it during "The Last Dance," saying:
“I didn’t retire because the league kicked me out or they suspended me for a year and a half. That is not true. There’s no truth to that,” Jordan said. “I needed a break. My father just passed. And I retired. And I retired with the notion that I wasn’t going to come back.”