Former Chicago Bulls player Stacey King shared a remarkable story from the 1990s on his podcast, Stacey King’s Gimme The Hot Sauce. He recalled how fans’ devotion to Michael Jordan sometimes led to extraordinary situations.
King described an incident in New York when a woman laid down in front of the team bus, refusing to move until she got a photo with Jordan. Team officials were forced to accommodate her to avoid missing their travel schedule.
“It was remarkable. Today’s players — unless you’re LeBron or Steph Curry — don’t experience that kind of turnout,” King said, via HoopsHype. The story highlighted how different the NBA atmosphere was during Jordan’s era.
The incident occurred after a game against the New York Knicks. With the airport closing at a set time, Phil Jackson asked Jordan to comply so the team could continue their travel.
King emphasized that this was not an isolated event. Fans frequently crowded hotels, lobbies, and bars to catch glimpses of the Bulls’ stars, making travel logistics a challenge.
