Tiger played at his peak somewhere towards the end of my career. At the end of the day, my time in the spotlight is dwindling. All rights reserved. WhetherJordan in his heart of heartsdoesn't see the value in comparing his greatness to that of other basketball players, orhe sees himself as the unquestioned GOAT,is almost immaterial. Michael Jordan would still call Tiger the best ever. Shanken: This is a very serious conversation, but what I really want to ask you now, is while youve been talking youve been smoking a pre-Castro Cuban cigar. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. The thing that blew me away wasand I have to go back to see how it came up; maybe I was asking about his smoking habits, and why he smoked and so forthhe confessed to me that nobody knew, but on the way to every Bulls home game, because he's in the car for an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half, he smoked a cigar. Jordan: Well, I think thats a little bit hard to determine. ", "That's one thing my parents taught me very well," Jordan said in the build-up to that line, "don't wear your reputation, don't wear your accolades, don't wear your personality on your sleeve. Shanken: You said you smoke six cigars a day. But the recent swell in the basketball GOAT debate after LeBron James secured his fourth title with the Los Angeles Lakers is what makes the sentiment especially timely. What we have been able to do is understand what works with the consumer, and weve been able to grow that business. Yeah. He played his first NBA game at 21 years old and turned 22 midway through his rookie season. Even during his playing days, the Bulls star was known to be a cigar smoker. Jordan lays out a few, withthe comparison to the conversation aroundhim and Bill Russell the most compelling. [Opens a box of H. Upmann Tivolis from the 1950s and the men begin smoking the cigars.] But his love for the things goes even deeper than that, as the Editor-in-Chief of Cigar Aficionado magazine, Marvin Shanken, even said Jordan once told him he used to smoke a cigar before every single home game in . Not with the same magnitude as in Chicago, but from a teaching standpoint. So as more players started to forgo college and go to the NBA, the talent pool eroded as well as the education of basketball. So I pick it up and I say, "Michael, I can't believe you're calling me!" Jordan is a well-known lover of a good cigar and has beensmoking daily since 1993, according to the Robb Report. In 1993. Whether he's playing or spectating, rarely will you see Michael Jordan in a golf setting without a cigar in hand. And thats what I learned in Washington. Shanken: If your dad were alive hed be so proud of you.Jordan: What would my father do right now? I never played against Wilt Chamberlain, I never played against Jerry West. My wife is Cuban. Shanken: I dont open these that often. In the interview, Michael Jordan mentioned that he would always smoke one in his car while driving to the Chicago Stadium. So theres more for me. I don't want to speak for him, but I think Michael enjoys the camaraderie that we have. His Jordan Brand from Nike brings in more than $3 billion in annual sales worldwide, he owns a chain of steak houses and a car dealership, and he endorses a wide range of famous brands, from Gatorade sports drinks to Hanes undergarments and Upper Deck sports memorabilia. The summer of "The Last Dance" and a conveniently timed interview drop three days after the Finals? Now does that constitute him being the greatest? And I got the education in wine from Bill Terlato [CEO of Terlato Wines International], who is a good friend of mine. Shanken: Yes. He had an interview with a cigar magazine editor at cigar aficionado, where he revealed his love for tobacco. So it was a rich experience. And sometimes I surprise myself because I find Ive got nothing to do today. Tiger evolved the game to where it crossed a lot of different boundaries, where it was no longer just a white guys sport. Its a work in progress with the Hornets. "He couldnt have a cigar on set because his mom got mad at him," Hehir said. We won the championship, and Jerry Reinsdorf {owner of the Bulls] gave me one of his cigars. authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and, display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles, measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and, develop and improve our products and services. 2. So it could be a good teaching experience for all these young athletes who think everything is owed to them. He sat down for an unprecedented one-hour interview with the editor and publisher of the magazine, Marvin Shanken. Former NBA starCharles Barkleytook a jab at Jordan, tellingAhmad Rashad that Jordan taught him to always have two sets of cigars. They had good teams that went to the Eastern conference finals, they won 50 games. You sell wine in your restaurants. Thats one thing my parents taught me very well. Shanken: You are recognized in the business pressI hate to even use the word, I apologize for using the wordas a billionaire.Jordan: Me? Somewhere down the road hopefully we can do some cottages if we choose to do that. No athlete in history has ever captivated audiences like Michael Jordan. Here are 10 of our favorites. I love Medinah, because of the historic aspect and being in Chicago. Shanken: Well dont worry, they will continue rolling cigars after the welcome. In your life, what is your greatest regret?Jordan: I really dont have regrets. I think its going to hurt the overall aspect of the league from a competitive standpoint. And these are not little cigars! Well, you can smoke a five-inch cigar: That's 20 minutes, more or less. Im sure you didnt buy the Charlotte team to be an also-ran. You'll probably be surprised by the answer, but I didn't feel any change. He's passionate about cigars. Shanken: And 36 holes?Jordan: Always 36 holes. Taste? He thinks he has an edge that way. No. When he plays golf, and he plays 36 holes a few days a week, he is smoking cigars. Theframing growshis legend without him having to make his own case. Druids Glen in Ireland. For someone that small to generate that much power? I dont want to just lend my name to a product. He explained that he started smoking a cigar going to the games. And I ask you that because you not only were a player, but youre an owner.Jordan: I think the agents responsibility is to educate the individuals. Does that make Bill Russell better than me or make me better than him? Rory.Jordan: Very talented. He would do this before every home game. He had an interview with a cigar magazine editor at cigar aficionado, where he revealed his love for tobacco. This is a very critiquing period of this world. Shanken: Let me ask you about a film project. Shanken: Have you seen a lot of it?Jordan: Yeah, Ive seen it. Joe Rivera is a senior content producer at The Sporting News and teaches Multimedia Sports Reporting at his alma mater, Rutgers University. One I hit a seven iron, and one I hit a five wood. That aint hay.Jordan: [laughs] But it was a process with that as well. He may even think it's fun! [He points at a second box of cigars on the table. His love for stogies is no secret, something he made clear in a 2005 interview with Cigar Aficionado. Jordan had his first cigar after he and his Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship in 1991. And its not final, they have to go through the approval state of his ownership. Coach Smith, my parents, taught me right from wrong, taught me to understand and listen and learn, and then I got with an agent who educated me. Because we played in different eras. I left school at the age of 20, 21, in my junior season. In terms of us being able to go, its coming. His Jordan Brand from Nike brings in more than $3 billion in annual sales worldwide, he owns a chain of steak houses and a car dealership, and he endorses a wide range of famous brands, from Gatorade sports drinks to Hanes undergarments and Upper Deck sports memorabilia. Shanken: What about internationally?Jordan: Ive played in Scotland. Those. Everything that Ive tried to do from a basketball standpoint, hes trying to do from a baseball standpoint. You now are the owner of the Charlotte Hornets. "I smoke six cigars a day," he said. My mother calls me practically every day, reiterating keep your nose clean. Thats her constant reminder that people are watching, people are learning, people are paying attention. He is also a cigar aficionado on the side. Shanken: You talk about teaching. "Marvin! However, basketball is not the only thing Jordan loves. He , Marvin R. Shankenhas interviewed a host of fascinating people from all walks of life throughout the , Joe Gurrera, the owner of the popular gourmet market chain Citarella, still finds time to smoke a , Legend Michael Jordan Sits Down For A Second Interview With Marvin R. Shanken. What sort of things do you guys talk about? It wasnt the only Cuban cigar that dipped in reputation around this period. During Jordan's first Cigar Aficionado cover story, he and the story's author enjoy a pair of Montecristo No. He likes big cigars in general. Shanken: Well, if you went into a cigar factory all the cigar rollers would stop their work and they would give you a welcome that would give you goose bumps. He has stated many times that he smokes, Differences Between Straight, Punch and V-Cuts, What Cigars Does Arnold Schwarzenegger Smoke. At that time. Part of this gift is to bring back memories. It must be a little bit of a shock to Jordan's system, considering the cigar aficionado has up to six a day, according to a Sports Illustrated report from 2017. At the end of the day my heart, my soul, my dedication is in the right place. 7. Shanken: Have you ever played with Jordan Spieth?Jordan: I did about four weeks ago, in Cabo. We hang out a lot. I own 4 humidors, that I try to keep stocked at all times. Being able to transition from a basketball player who can impact a game, and determining outcome, to where you now sit up in an office without the same control, you have to be able to live vicariously through the players you select. Do you spend more time in one business than another? No player had ever done that before. Where you dont have the privacy that you would want, and what seems to be very innocent can always be misinterpreted. It's daunting. I also want to go because Im such a fan of cigars. Did it seem that Michael had changed at all between interviews? The Cuban Partags Lusitania cost on average $13 each in Cuba back in 2015. He said he smokes six a day, and he plays 36 holes. Shanken: You would be so unbelievably welcomed in Cuba by the Cuban people and the Cuban government. You see in The Last Dance that, by a certain point, it had become very hard for Michael to live a normal life. . I'm bored to death, I want to come over and have a cigar with you." You can smoke a six-and-a-half, seven, seven-and-a-half-inch cigara double coronaand that's like a one-hour cigar. Michael Jordan venting to Cigar Aficionado is a bad look for the NBA | SPEAK FOR YOURSELF 56,544 views Oct 13, 2017 304 Dislike Share Speak For Yourself 361K subscribers Jason Whitlock talks. My first couple of years I was the general manager, and the next couple of years I went down and I played, because I still felt I could impact the game from a players standpoint. It really told me that this guy loves cigars. I want to go with no restraints. Shanken: Heres where Im going. Then we have to be adults. Shanken: Do you play with any of these guys?Jordan: I play with them all here. If I had to smoke a cigar that I can get through, that would be an Esplendido [a Cohiba Churchill]. I think that's more for PR and more for selling stories and getting hype. Jordan has appeared on two of the magazines covers, in 2005 and 2017, each time sitting for a lengthy interview (and a number of cigars) with editor-in-chief and publisher Marvin Shanken. He has stated many times that he smokes six cigars a day. Absolutely great. Shanken: And then a few weeks ago I saw your name mentioned as an investor in the Miami Marlins with Jeter. There was an inconsistency in their quality. Shanken: Five, 10 years ago people were always asking who is greater, who is going to be the greatest, Tiger or Jack? Everybody says it was a failed opportunity for me to play baseball. Some articles have noted the high price of the Cuban cigars Jordan likes to smoke. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. The Monte No. Dont be afraid to fail. In a 2005 interview with Cigar Aficionado, Jordan said he had smoked the Partagas Serie D No. On ESPN's Jalen and Jacoby "The Last Dance" aftershow, docuseries director Jason Hehir revealed why Jordan had just one cigar during the interview process. When available, a box of 25 Partagas Lusitania cigars sells for approximately $500. In 1993. "I smoke.. six cigars a day, maybe," Jordan said to Cigar Aficionado publisher Marvin Shanken. Shanken: Well, you can go now. Michael Jordan Videos Exceed Seven Million Views The series of videos shot during the interview between basketball legend Michael Jordan and Marvin R. Shanken has hit a combined total of 7.3 million views on the magazine's August 5, 2022 Channels Cuba Cuba's Small Rafael Gonzalez Brand Gets New Size February 16, 2023 Cigar News