It is no secret that Michael Jordan likes to keep his circle small and his staff loyal. Regarding loyalty, Jordan’s personal security guards are willing to go to any length for “His Airness,” even if it means getting a permanent tattoo of MJ’s world-famous Jumpman insignia.
“We went with Michael to a tattoo place in Chicago. He said, ‘Put them on,’ and we all ended up getting [the Jumpman logo] tattooed on our arms,” Jordan’s late head of security John Michael Wozniak told Complex in 2016.
The GOAT jokes around sometimes too
Wozniak, as well as the other bodyguards, knew they existed to ensure that Jordan was unscathed whenever he traveled from Point A to Point B. As a celebrated NBA superstar, MJ understandably had a lot of appointments before the regular traveling during the season. Stating the obvious, he had zero time to waste.
However, Wozniak said that despite the stress that came with the responsibility of being the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan did not lose his sense of humor. Every now and then, he would joke around with Wozniak and the other guards. And over time, they developed a special bond.
“We never sought fame being around Michael Jordan. I was at an opening of a movie with Michael Jordan here in Chicago, it wasn’t Space Jam, and Bo Jackson was there. I was in the movie with Michael for a couple of minutes, and he said to me, ‘That’s your claim to fame, that’s all you’re gonna get.’ And everyone laughed at it, because we experienced the superstar Michael Jordan, but there were also times when everyone let their guard down and laughed at a joke,” Wozniak revealed.
MJ knows no jokes when it comes to competition
Like the fans, Wozniak was also well aware of Jordan’s insane competitive drive and the fact that it had no exceptions and reservations. Unfortunately for him, he once happened to keep beating MJ in a pool game during a Christmas party. True to form, MJ wasn’t having it and decided to kick Wozniak out of the event. It wasn’t a big deal for Wozniak, but rest assured, he was reminded about Michael’s competitiveness that day.
“One time during a Christmas party, my dad beat Michael at pool,” Wozniak’s son Nicholi once revealed. “He kicked my dad out of the Christmas party.”
The depths of Jordan’s relationship with Wozniak and his other security guards is hard to fathom. But one thing sure was that it was extraordinary. Otherwise, nobody in their right mind would agree to have something tattooed on their skin in a heartbeat.