Michael Jordan had 'crazy' pre-game superstition that you've probably never heard about
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest athletes of all time, but even he had superstitions during his playing days.
Nobody has a CV quite like Michael Jordan: Six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, six-time NBA Finals MVP, five-time NBA MVP, 14-time NBA All-star.
Over the course of his 14-year playing career Jordan cemented himself as one of the greatest athletes in history, something that earned him plenty of endorsement deals that earned him millions of dollars.
According to Sportico, Jordan's career earnings total $3.75 billion when adjusted to inflation.
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But despite being levels above most of his fellow basketball stars - and other athletes too - Jordan shared something with them.
Like many professional sports stars, Jordan had a pre-game superstitious ritual that he followed every single game of his career.
According to The Sports Rush, Jordan would wear a brand-new pair of shoes for each match.
Many athletes have lucky shoes, gloves, socks and other items, but Jordan insisted on wearing new cleats. But it wasn't because he thought wearing the same pair twice would bring bad luck.
Speaking on NBA 2K14's 'Michael Jordan Uncensored: Part Two', Jordan said: "I always wore a brand-new pair of shoes every game."
He explained that the feeling of putting on new shoes and kit helped him boost his own performance.
"You feel energetic, you feel like you've got something to showcase. I wanted that feeling every game."
Plenty of top athletes have superstitions, but some psychologists have warned that they can be detrimental to performance.
In Athletics Weekly, sports psychology consultant Dr Josephine Perry explained: "You limit your flexibility to respond to the environment around you, which means that anything unpredictable might throw you off kilter.
"Secondly, it means that other athletes can use your superstitions against you to disrupt your performance."
That might be true, but clearly it didn't negatively affect Jordan's game too much.
Topics: Basketball, Michael Jordan, NBA, Chicago Bulls
Alex Brotherton