Former NBA guard and current analyst Kenny Smith thinks Michael Jordan would have had one major issue playing in this era.
It wouldn’t be on the court where Jordan would have had this problem, Smith told Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless on FS1’s Undisputed Tuesday.
Instead, the existence of social media would have hurt His Airness, Smith argued.
Via Awful Announcing:
“It would have been too much,” Smith said of his former North Carolina Tar Heels teammate. “Because think of how everybody in the world knew about him. He was like our version of musically, Michael Jackson. He was the most recognizable person in the world and I don’t know if social media – it would have been too much. It was almost too much and there was no social media and all you saw was Michael everywhere.
“Newspapers was our social media.” Smith continued. “Everyone had a newspaper back then…so we did have the device, it was just archaic. And he was in it! It just wasn’t instant. To see Michael instantaneous around the world – he’s a ten-time billionaire now, he would be a hundred-billionaire, easily. Because he just would be too popular.”
Smith’s claim has sparked some heavy debate on Twitter.
“Kenny has a point. Like, who would dare point out MJ once went 5-for-12 from the free throw line in an elimination game at home?” one person said.
Kenny has a point. Like, who would dare point out MJ once went 5-for-12 from the free throw line in an elimination game at home?https://t.co/rybnrh2VzS
— Brad (@BMonastiere) May 9, 2023
“Man give me a break! Jordan doesn’t pay attention to social media now….why would he pay attention to it it back when he played…Jordan was on another level when it came to blocking stuff out and mental toughness,” a second person countered.
Man give me a break! Jordan doesn’t pay attention to social media now….why would he pay attention to it it back when he played…Jordan was on another level when it came to blocking stuff out and mental toughness
— Emile J Brown (@EmileJBrown) May 9, 2023
“Michael Jordan would have gotten so much hate in early part of his career,” a third person argued. “He won an MVP before he ever won a first round playoff series. Think about all the hate Jokic gets for not backing up his MVPs with playoff success, and that guy has at least been to a conference finals.”
Michael Jordan would have gotten so much hate in early part of his career.
He won an MVP before he ever won a first round playoff series. Think about all the hate Jokic gets for not backing up his MVPs with playoff success, and that guy has at least been to a conference finals. https://t.co/xCcmShPfrD
— James B. Terry (@terryjt1) May 9, 2023
“This is absolutely fair. Couple things the Jet was MJ’s college teammate so he knows him well enough to say this. Also, the article references a quote from 2020 where MJ himself admits that he probably wouldn’t have been able to navigate the social media era well,” said another commenter.
This is absolutely fair. Couple things the Jet was MJ's college teammate so he knows him well enough to say this. Also, the article references a quote from 2020 where MJ himself admits that he probably wouldn't have been able to navigate the social media era well https://t.co/tTgqt8e9Xw
— James Peterson (@Jersyjames23) May 9, 2023
“Fair. Can’t play high-limit Blackjack until 4 am, then give someone 43 the next night with the whole universe watching,” added Utah sportswriter Josh Newman.
Fair.
Can’t play high-limit Blackjack until 4 am, then give someone 43 the next night with the whole universe watching. https://t.co/c0uccjvW72
— Josh Newman (@Joshua_Newman) May 9, 2023
It is true that Jordan said in an interview with Cigar Aficionado in 2020 that he’s not sure he could have survived in the social media era, so it’s not like Smith had a crazy point.
“It’s to the point where some people have been able to utilize it to their financial gain and things of that nature,” Jordan said at the time. “I don’t know if I could’ve survived in this Twitter [era], where you don’t have the privacy that you’d want and what seems to be very innocent can always be misinterpreted.”
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