Chicago legend Michael Jordan has lived a life that many can only dream of. He marked his 15-season NBA career with dominance and unprecedented earnings. But along the way, Michael did his part to look out for his fans as well. Whether it was through philanthropy, or bullying someone into doing the right thing.
Recently, JxmyHighroller, a Youtuber with over 2.3 Million followers, uploaded a video about a Chicago Bulls fan who did not receive what he was owed. Years later, we learned how MJ and the rest of the Bulls came to the fan?s rescue.
The ‘Million Dollar’ Shot – promo event gone wrong
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On the 14 of April, 1993, the Chicago Bulls played the Miami Heat, and the Bulls held a promotion event. During the halftime break, the organizers selected one fan from the crowd.
Their challenge? To make a 3-point shot from the other side of the court. Their prize? A million dollars!
They selected 23-year-old Don Calhoun. Players from both teams, the referees, the commentators and over 18000 fans watched anxiously as Don prepared to take the Million Dollar Shot. Eventually, Calhoun stepped up. He threw the ball, and it traveled the length of the stadium, finding its mark through the hoop.
The crowd erupted into loud cheers and applauses, while Calhoun was surrounded from all sides and hugged by the Bulls, including Michael Jordan.
They promised Calhoun a remarkable $1 million for making the shot. But most of the Bulls players didn?t even earn that much at the time. The reality of the situation, unfortunately, soon set in.
Calhoun was denied the million dollars by the insurance company in charge of the contest. They claimed a rule had stated that the contestant should not have played an “organized” version of the sport for a certain period of time. This was a problem for Don, who was a member of a college basketball team.
The astonishing fact is that the organizers of the contest knew this fact about Don beforehand. Because Don shared this particular information when applying for the contest.
The fallout and the pressure from Michael Jordan
The basketball community became outraged after learning that the Bulls fan would not receive the amount he was promised.
A press conference was later held by the Chicago Bulls. They announced that the payment would be split the payment into 20 parts. The team would award Don the money owed to him over a 20-year period.
But what happened? What changed in that time period?
A year after the fabled shot, news reached Don Calhoun that Michael Jordan would be in the area for a basketball game. The fan took the opportunity to get his ?Million Dollar? ball signed.
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Jordan immediately recognized Calhoun and asked his security to have him meet the fan after the game. The first thing Jordan said to him was not “Hi” or “Hello,” it was ?Did you get your money??
When Calhoun replied ?Yes,??Jordan explained, ?We made them give it to you.?
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Jordan and his teammates found out that the insurance company did not intend to pay out the dues. He and the other Bulls players took the matter to the ownership and explicitly told them that they had to pony up. With pressure from their own team, the organizers agreed to pay out of their own pockets.
And don?t worry. Along with the money, Calhoun got his ball signed as well.