Superstitions in sports are not a strange thing; in fact, almost every sportsperson has their own superstitions. Some are simple, while others are as bizarre as the one NBA legend Michael Jordan had. Michael Jordan was a big believer in superstitions, including wearing lucky underpants to bring good luck.
He began to think that the shorts he played in during his time at UNC were lucky. Throughout his NBA career, Jordan always wore his UNC practice shorts underneath his uniform. The ironic part is that it’s Mike, and when Mike does something, the world follows. Players started wearing longer shorts to imitate Michael Jordan, starting a whole new trend in the NBA and throughout the globe.
#MJMONDAYS MJ used to wear his @UNC_Basketball practice shorts under his Bulls uniform for good luck 💯🔥 #JumpmanHistory pic.twitter.com/4LQVR4cBFk
— Jumpman History (@HistoryJumpman) September 22, 2020
They had no idea that MJ was only attempting to hide his lucky shorts. His insane belief is often credited to the trendsetter of the baggy shorts and considering the short shorts uncool. Jordan disliked basketball shorts, which were often small and tight. He wanted baggier shorts to hide his charm and to use them on the court for comfort.
One not-so-bizarre superstition that Michael Jordan has is of wearing a brand-new pair of shoes every game, a practice that he believes can boost his energy and showcase his skills. This practice, he claims, is a way to avoid the risk of unlucky clothing, which can limit his flexibility and potentially disrupt his performance.
Michael Jordan wore practice shorts under his NBA uniform for good luck
Every time His Airness stepped onto the court during an NBA game, he played in two sets of shorts. He used to dress for the Bulls by dressing in his old Tar Heels underwear. It may not seem like the most comfortable method to play basketball, but MJ obviously found success with it. He often grabbed his shorts during games to regain breath; the added piece of cloth would improve his concentration and allow him to focus on the game.
With the Bulls, Jordan started using longer game shorts. The Fab Five from Michigan, which was made up of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, and Juwan Howard, followed the same and later became popular in the NBA. Fortunately, this habit has now spread to all levels of the game.According to reports, His Airness began donning baggier shorts while he was a Chicago Bull in order to hide the UNC duds below, which triggered an NBA fashion revolution. The practice shorts, which starred in Space Jam in 1996 and were retailed by Nike in their “The 2 That Started It All” bundle in 2017, have become legendary in and of themselves.