The superstar and newly minted Captain of the New York Yankees, Aaron Judge, is a big fan of the NBA Legend Michael Jordan. Both Judge and Jordan are two greats of their games, rightfully. Just last year, the Bombers’ slugger made history after hitting 62 homers in a season. This record is definitely hard to beat. And recently, he signed a historic deal with the Jordan brand. But the shocker comes when you come to know that Aaron Judge has a deep connection with MJ from his high school days. How? Keep reading to find out.
Judge was a three-sport player back then. He could have been a basketball player in the NBA or a footballer in the NFL. But his destiny made him choose to have a career in the MLB. It was a good choice. However, looking down memory lane, the Yankees slugger revealed how he used to wear the iconic number 23 on the basketball court. Every NBA fan knows that number belongs to Michael Jordan. Moreover, it is a great honor for any high school kid to wear that number on the basketball court.
Why Aaron Judge Used To Wear MJ’s Iconic Number Back In High School?
In an interview, Aaron Judge revealed Michael Jordan as his inspiration to wear the jersey number 23. He believed if he scored and rebounded well, he needed to wear an iconic number. And what number can be more iconic than what belongs to the great Chicago Bulls legend? The Yankees star’s high school stats indicate he was correct in his assessment. Not just MJ’s iconic number, but Aaron Judge also used to wear Jordan shoes back in those days. He feels lucky that he got permission to wear the iconic number in high school. Everybody notices a player wearing the number 23, as he must be good.
The Yankees hitter was pretty good, as he averaged 17 points per game and 11 rebounds per game. These numbers suggest how good Aaron Judge was in high school. It is a good record for any college player. Moreover, Judge was pretty dominant as a big man in high school basketball. No doubt the stat suggests Aaron Judge could easily play pro basketball. But the Yankees fans must be glad that he stuck with baseball. Even in 2023, when the NY side is having a terrible time, Aaron Judge is leading in most offensive categories in the team. Albeit, he missed game time for two months with an injury. Moreover, he is still among the top home run sluggers this season.
Michael Jordan’s Crazy Legacy & His Brand In Sports Market
On the other hand, Michael Jordan is a legend who needs no introduction. Generally, people consider him among the most impactful players of all sports of all time, including Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali. Moreover, what is one other thing that MJ is famous for than his game is his shoe brand, Jordan? He signed an epic deal with Nike back in 1984 before his NBA debut. This deal saw an epoch-making change in the sports marketing industry.
Along with the greatness of Michael Jordan on the court, Nike and Jordan, as its subsidiary, became the biggest brands in North American sports. The Jordan brand is pretty popular among baseball players, too, other than NBA players. Briefly, around 1993, Michael Jordan changed his game to baseball, but then, in 1995, he returned to the NBA. As a player, that’s the only connection between Michael Jordan and the MLB league. However, it does not stop the Jordan brand from signing top MLB players.