MICHAEL JORDAN USED TO SMOKE IN HIS CAR before every home game – Basketball Network
We’re sure everyone is familiar with Michael Jordan‘s love for cigars. It seems that ever since his retirement it is virtually impossible for Michael to get ever get caught lacking when it comes to smoking some hand-rolled tobacco.
The images of Mike chugging champagne and celebrating by lighting up a victory cigar in the Chicago Bulls locker room during their 6-ring strong dynasty are some of the most recognized sports images ever photographed. The man loved cigars so much he even made sure his teammates loved them too.
No matter if it is during his monologues on The Last Dance or Charity Golf events, Jordan is always puffing on something. So it should come to no surprise that in an interview for Cigar Aficionado with Marvin Shanken, MJ revealed that he enjoyed smoking even while being on the road.
For us mere mortals, lighting up a fine Cuban cigar would be something done on special occasions, like bachelor parties or a big birthday, but for MJ that was merely a routine. I mean the guy built his whole image around that cigar smoke, something celebrated by the NBA in the early 90s, but nearly unimaginable today.
Today, everyone is very aware of the health risks that come with smoking, and in sports culture, it is something that is mostly frowned upon. But Mike’s love for cigars was so pure that it couldn’t have been any other way.
The perception is that athletes don’t smoke. And if they do smoke, they smoke on the weekend. Certainly not before a game. That was such an eye-opener to me. It really told me that this guy loves cigars. He’s passionate about cigars. To a fellow cigar-smoker, that is real bonding.”
Marvin Shanken, Cigar Aficionado
If a statement like that from the man behind the world’s most famous cigar magazine isn’t enough, rumor has it that Mike smokes up to 6 cigars a day, which is something we’re sure his doctor isn’t too happy about. But hey, GOAT is what GOAT does, and Miked wanted all the smoke both on and off the court.