Michael Jordan is undeniably one of the greatest in the basketball world. However, even the larger-than-life legend has also been criticized for some of his gestures. One such instance is when Jordan handed out printed copies of his autograph to his fans. Another is his refusal to sign autographs for fans. This wasn’t taken much fondly. However, after all these years, some fans now support the latter gesture. Why?
Just recently, a video of Jordan’s interaction with a fan surfaced online. The fan, who appeared to be in his 20s, had a ball in his hand and followed Jordan with just one wish, which was to get his autograph. While he repeatedly said, “I can’t sell it,” Jordan still didn’t sign the ball. While some were awestruck to see Jordan, others pointed out that the Chicago Bulls legend was rude or could have handled the situation differently.
There have been previous instances where young kids or fans wished to take a photo with him, but MJ simply refused with a plain “No”. And this isn’t even new. There are several such instances where he has declined fans’ autograph requests as well. This is why he is also being compared to other greats, such as LeBron James.
But it seems the tune has changed now. Fans recognize how the reselling of autographs has become an issue. And probably, this is why some of the netizens showed mercy in the comments section.
After backlash, fans show support to Michael Jordan’s gesture
There’s always a huge uproar whenever such clips of the Chicago Bulls legend go viral. But fans like this one had a refreshing view. “I wouldn’t even bother asking at this point. MJ has seen it all and dealt with all kinds of autograph resellers,” the comment read.
It can’t be that Michael Jordan dislikes fan interaction. While he prefers to keep his distance from people, he is likely fond of his fans. Back in an interview with MTV in 1996, Jordan admitted that he loves when people greet him.
So, when a netizen criticized Jordan, another defended him and said, “because he would turn around and try to sell it and that’s a grown man.” A fan wrote, “grown man acting for autograph.” However, in the last few years, his actions haven’t seemed to show the same sentiment when it comes to signing autographs.
And the fan seems to understand why. One of the fans demanded that he shouldn’t be bothered and wrote, “Mike isn’t signing nothing these days, just leave him alone.” Another fan made an assumption and wrote, “Dude was gonna try to sell that ball on ebay and make money off his name .. thats why mj don’t sign stuff anymore.”
There might also be other reasons why Jordan doesn’t sign autographs for fans anymore. MJ had a deal with Upper Deck, and through this deal, he was advised to limit his autographs to make them more valuable and exclusive. What is your take on this?
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