Home Columns Michael Jordan appears on ‘Late Night With David Letterman’ in 1989

Michael Jordan appears on ‘Late Night With David Letterman’ in 1989

Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls shoots a jump shot over Kevin McHale of the Boston Celtics during a game played in 1987 at the Boston Garden. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1987 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)

Thirty years ago, Michael Jordan was a guest on “Late Night With David Letterman” a popular American talk show.

That May appearance, which highlighted Jordan’s rising fame, happened two years before the first of six NBA titles for the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

A few days later, he sank The Shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers, propelling the Bulls to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks.


In the full interview posted on YouTube, Jordan recalls a neighborhood doctor who”pours kerosene on my toe” after a wood-chopping accident with an ax.

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“So do you just own Chicago? Is that the deal?” Letterman asked Michael Jordan.

“And this is a great time to be a basketball star, isn’t it?” the TV host also inquired.

“Well, they need to win, and if you win, they appreciate it a lot,” Jordan insisted.

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