Michael Jordan’s bodyguard once recalled the "craziest” incident involving the NBA icon.
Jordan went from athlete to institution in the Nineties, after leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA Championships.
It was a tally of titles made up of two three-peats between 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998, while the Bulls also recorded a then-record 72 regular season wins in the 1995–96 NBA campaign.
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In hauling the Bulls to unprecedented success, Jordan earned six NBA Finals MVP awards, ten NBA scoring titles and five NBA MVP awards among a spate of other accolades. He also became the pride of Chicago and one of the most famous athletes in the world.
John Michael Wozniak, one of Jordan's security guards during his time with the Bulls, spoke about the shooting guard’s immense popularity at the time.
When asked by Complex in 2016 about his craziest experience when working with Jordan, Wozniak said: “Anytime we anticipated Michael’s arrival, we always had an approximate time of when he’d arrive.
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“All the security was in place to anticipate his arrival. Everyone was lying in wait. Michael’s dominance and his championship career had evolved so quickly. He was a rockstar.
“We knew when and where he’d be, and we prepared ourselves for it. When Michael retired for the first time, he went to play baseball, and then he came back.
“We were located downtown in the office we had in the Omni Building in Chicago. People realised his car was downtown off of Michigan Avenue, and gathered as such that we had to have the contractor of the Omni Building take us underground.
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“We crossed the street and were able to get Michael out.”
On how Jordan transformed Chicago, Wozniak added: “People were in such admiration for what he had done for the city. He gave them a winning attitude. People just wanted to touch him.
“At times it was hectic, but there was never any real harm towards him.
“When he had [Michael Jordan’s Restaurant] on LaSalle Street in Chicago, he had a room on the second floor in the back, and the place was jammed.
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“As soon as Michael was visible, everyone stood up and cheered him. Sometimes I felt a little chill and happiness for him because of how much he had changed the city.
“When I had first joined the Chicago Police Department, I was assigned to the Monroe Street 12th Police District. During that time, you really couldn’t walk down Madison Street.
“When Michael Jordan came to Chicago and brought this winning attitude and charm, the next thing you know, banks, restaurants, and condominiums started opening up.”
Topics: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, NBA, Basketball
Chris Byfield