Michael Jordan doesn’t do favors. If you want something from him, you better earn it. So, when a BBC journalist got MJ to record a rare tribute, it came with a cost.
MJ is notoriously elusive. Getting him to do anything outside his own terms? Nearly impossible. Yet, somehow, former pro-golfer Justin Leonard managed it. All thanks to the relentless persistence of a BBC journalist.
That employee was Dan Roan, a Business and Finance Reporter turned Editor, who shared this story on Access One. Roan reminisced about Jordan’s participation in the Western Amateur – a prestigious event just below the U.S. Amateur – courtesy of the Western Golf Association.
“So he’s playing, and he gets to play with Justin Leonard, who is an up-and-coming kid from Texas. And they get to know each other a little bit over the course of a couple, couple of days,” Roan recalled.
Fast forward a few years, and Leonard had climbed the ranks to win the British Open. Now a member at Royal Oaks in Dallas, Leonard became the center of a special testimonial dinner. That’s when Roan’s college roommate—also a tour player and a member at Royal Oaks – reached out with a favor.
“So he calls me and says, ‘We’re doing a testimonial dinner for Justin, and they would love to get Michael to say a little bit about him,’” Roan recalled. Eager to help, Roan took the request straight to Jordan. He reminded MJ of Leonard and then asked if he’d be willing to record a short, 90-second tribute. Jordan’s response?
Oct 14, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NASCAR series team owner Michael Jordan in attendance during qualifying for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
“He goes, ‘I’m not doing that stuff.’ He walks off…,” Roan recounted. That could’ve been the end of it, but Roan wasn’t ready to back down just yet. “… It’s for somebody else… I don’t care if you do it or not… I’ll just tell him you wouldn’t do it,” Roan said. And just like that, Jordan stopped mid-step.
“Give me that microphone,” His Airness said. Then, in true MJ fashion, he delivered a perfect 90-second tribute. As soon as he finished, he dropped the mic on the floor, turned to Roan, and said, “You owe me,” before walking away. Truly a massive debt to repay.
The conclusion Rona drew from the incident: the Chicago Bulls legend is unpredictable. Well, from getting into Western Amateur to facing a ban at a golf club, there truly is no predicting the 6x NBA champ.
Why did Michael Jordan face a permanent ban from a golf club?
Imagine being kicked out of an exclusive golf club—not for bad behavior, not for poor sportsmanship, but for wearing the wrong kind of shorts. Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Michael Jordan at one of Miami’s most prestigious golf courses.
According to the L.A. Times, club officials halted Michael Jordan mid-game. The issue? Cargo shorts. The course, known for its strict dress code, required Jordan to change, even though he was beyond the halfway point of his 18-hole round.
Not one to back down, he refused. And just like that, they told him never to come back – quite the bold stance, considering the man is a six-foot-six sports icon. His representative later explained that Jordan had worn cargo shorts at this very club before without issue.
“This time, he was made aware of the violation on the 12th hole, and at that point he did refuse to interrupt his game, and return to the clubhouse and change,” MJ’s representative said. Clearly, you cannot force His Airness to do something as the man functions on his own terms.
Jordan’s legacy isn’t just about championships. It’s about control. Whether on the court, at a golf club, or even in an impromptu speech, the rules don’t apply to him. They never have. They never will
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