'It felt weird asking him about the past' - Usain Bolt reflects on his first meeting with Michael Jordan

Usain Bolt reflects on his first meeting with Michael Jordan

'It felt weird asking him about the past' - Usain Bolt reflects on his first meeting with Michael Jordan

Evans Ousuru 08:20 - 06.03.2025

Legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt revealed his true feelings about when he met retired NBA superstar Michael Jordan.

Multiple Olympic champion Usain Bolt has revealed his thoughts regarding how he met retired NBA legend Michael Jordan for the first time.

The three-time Olympic 100m champion said his first-hand experience with Jordan, who was integral in popularizing basketball and the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a global cultural icon, was at the Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, as the New England Patriots faced the Seattle Seahawks.

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The fastest man alive described the Glendale, Arizona meeting 'weird' saying: "I just wanted a picture. "You hear about Michael Jordan, and you see some of his films and stuff over the years. It was great to meet him and get a word in. I didn’t try to question him too much. It felt weird asking him about the past and stuff like that, so I just talked a little bit about basketball—random games and stuff, rather than when he used to play," he told the footboom1.com.

Both legends attended the event to witness the Patriots’ thrilling 28-24 victory over the Seahawks at State Farm Stadium. This victory marked the fourth Super Bowl triumph for quarterback Tom Brady, who was honored as the game’s MVP.

In a recent appearance on the JD Sports "In the Duffle Bag" podcast with Chuckie, Bolt elaborated on his mentality and the inspiration he drew from Jordan’s resilient character. He referenced the popular documentary "The Last Dance," expressing that he adopted a similar "champion's mindset" during his heated rivalry with Tyson Gay, who was once a close friend before their relationship deteriorated.

Reflecting on their competition, Bolt stated, "In 2008 when I won, people said, 'You know the only reason he won was that Tyson Gay wasn't there blah blah blah.' When he was fit, he ran his fastest time, and I still beat him; that’s how I work. I guess it’s just the mind of champions."

He added that he and Gay were relatively close friends early in their careers, but their friendship suffered as Bolt continued to outperform him, leading to a breakdown in their communication.

The 2008 Olympics was Bolt's international debut over 100m; he had earlier won numerous 200m medals (including 2007 World Championship silver) and held the world under-20 and world under-18 records for the event until being surpassed by Erriyon Knighton in 2021.

With eight Olympic gold medals to his name, the Jamaican retired in 2017 after the World Championships.