Michael Jordan. He is a name, brand, and icon all wrapped up in one. The basketball and Chicago Bulls legend was feared for his ferocious and gravity-defying dunks.
He conquered the court and people’s hearts when he was playing. But there’s one thing in his personal life that he couldn’t destroy- his fear of water. As a result, he can’t do the one thing many are comfortable enjoying.
No, NBA star Michael Jordan can’t swim due to 3 significant tragedies in his life. When he was 7, his best friend drowned after getting pulled in by strong ocean currents. Also, when he was 11, he nearly drowned again at a basketball camp, and when he was at the University of North Carolina, his girlfriend drowned in a flood.
Can Basketball Legend Michael Jordan Swim?
Michael Jordan can’t swim, and there are multiple tragic reasons behind this. One would think learning how to swim would be easy for someone like Michael Jordan. But it isn’t.
Jordan’s aquaphobia began when he was a kid. In his biography, “Michael Jordan: The Life,” he detailed that at just 7, he watched one of his close friends drown in the ocean after getting pulled by strong currents. That incident left a lasting trauma on his mind.
But what cemented his fear of water was the fact that when he jumped in to save his friend, he almost got pulled down by the panicked drowning boy, too. This began his fear of water.
NBA veteran John Salley, in an interview with DJ Vlad, also opened up about Jordan’s fear of water and swimming. He said:
“I’ve fought him all the time, you know. I always said, ‘Man, the greatest player of all time.’ I said, ‘I can’t believe they’re saying this about you. You can’t even swim!’ … for real. He had a bad situation. His best friend got died drowning. … I’ve watched him try to learn to swim, and I was like, ‘You can’t even swim!’ You know, that’s the only thing he can’t do.”
That’s not all. Jordan’s mishaps with water continued. At the age of just 11, he almost drowned again when he was out swimming at the basketball camp. But he got saved in the nick of time.
One would think that this would end his torment with water. But no. In a Vanity Fair interview, Jordan revealed that while at the University of North Carolina, his girlfriend got swept away in a flood and then drowned.
These aren’t the only incidences regarding water that have stood out in MJ’s illustrious life. In the Separation Anxiety podcast, his son, Marcus Jordan, revealed another incident, albeit a funny one this time, involving water.
Marcus revealed that in a jet ski mishap, his father and sister, Jasmine, were thrown in the water. Jasmine had a life vest on, but MJ didn’t. However, there was another curious sight in the water- $40,000, held together by a rubber band, floating on the water.
Marcus then asked his co-host and partner Larsa Pippen what she thought his father was going after in that distressing time. He said that it wasn’t his sister but the wad of cash. MJ’s clarification- his daughter already had a life vest on, but that money didn’t. So he had to save that.
This revelation, combined with his inability to swim and yet going after the cash, shows the kind of humorous persona someone like Jordan has.
What do you think of these tragedies that shaped Michael Jordan’s life, especially his swimming inability?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.