Michael Jordan played for two franchises at three different times during his career: the Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards. However, in 1999, “His Airness” was very close to playing for a team you’ve barely heard of.
During the 1999 NBA lockout, Liga ACB’s Adecco Estudiantes Madrid made Jordan an offer so tempting that it was impossible to say no.
Estudiantes Madrid had offered Michael Jordan $12 million and private golf lessons from legend Severiano Ballesteros.
According to Paco Torres, editor of the Spanish newspaper “Gigantes,” Adecco had allocated P2,000 million to convince Jordan to play for them.
“It was a worldwide operation.” said Paco Torres, director of Gigantes. “The budget was separate from the specific sponsorship of Estudiantes. Adecco, in its San Francisco office, had approved that 2,000 million for Jordan to wear the Estudiantes jersey. The impact would have been immediate: everything MJ touches turns to gold.”
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Paco also said that MJ’s agent actually considered the offer, but the NBA lockout ended before they could move forward with the deal.
“Jordan’s agents came to consider the offer, which was real, but the lockout ended before he could reach Michael himself.”
