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Topics: Usain Bolt, Michael Jordan, NBA, Chicago Bulls, Basketball
Ryan Baldi
Topics: Usain Bolt, Michael Jordan, NBA, Chicago Bulls, Basketball
Usain Bolt is one of the most iconic and charismatic sportspeople of all time. But there is one former athlete the record-breaking sprinter was starstruck to meet.
The 6ft 5ins Jamaican shot to superstardom when he claimed gold in the 100m and 200m at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, setting world-record times in each event.
And across a 13-year career, he earned a reputation as the greatest sprinter of all time, with his fastest times in his two primary distances still never beaten, despite the fact he retired in 2017.
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Bolt was also one of the most outgoing athletes on the world stage, always displaying a beaming smile and playful demeanour, even ahead of the most high-stakes events.
But when Bolt got the chance to meet NBA superstar Michael Jordan for the first time, he admits to being somewhat lost for words.
The meeting came at Super Bowl XLIX in 2015. The New England Patriots were taking on the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
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Bolt was one of a gaggle of celebrity attendees. And when the Jamaican sprint sensation spotted Jordan, he approached the retired basketball icon.
"I just wanted a picture," Bolt said of meeting the NBA GOAT. "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. Not when he used to play, but just random games and stuff.”
Down on the field, Tom Brady's Patriots produced a 14-point fourth-quarter rally to win the game 28-24.
The NFL's greatest-ever quarterback earned the fourth of his eventual seven Super Bowl rings and was named the game's MVP for his four touchdown passes.
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Meanwhile, in addition to meeting Jordan, Bolt says he also rubbed shoulders that day with former NFL stars Peyton Manning and Robert Griffin III.