Regardless of their standing in society, many who were around during the 90s knew Michael Jordan. Very few athletes have dominated a sport in the way that ‘His Airness’ did in the 90s. Winning 6x NBA championships, 6x Finals MVPs and a host of other accolades all in a decade cemented his legacy as one of the greatest to ever do it. Moreover, MJ arguably created the most iconic shoes ever, the Air Jordans.

Consequently, the Chicago Bulls legend garnered an unprecedented following in the 90s. However, his popularity breached the horizons of the NBA. In a 1996 survey, he came out as the most recognizable person in the country edging out even the President of the United States and other big names. Like many, the Hall of Famer was also shocked by the fact.

Michael Jordan was the most recognizable person at the height of his career

In 1996, Michael Jordan was arguably at the height of his illustrious Hall of Fame career. After returning to the NBA from his first retirement, Jordan added another championship ring and Finals MVP to his collection in 1995. Moreover, the Air Jordan brand was also bringing in record numbers. Needless to say, Jordan was the face of the NBA. However, his unprecedented popularity as a basketball player broke all barriers when in 1996, he came out as the most recognizable person ever.

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Before the 1996-97 NBA season, the then 4x NBA champion appeared alongside host Daisy Fuentes on MTV’s ‘One-on-One’ show. In the show, among other things, the host and Jordan talked about the latter’s popularity in one of the segments. While doing so, she mentioned an astounding fact about MJ’s fame, revealing that according to a US survey, Jordan was the most recognizable person at the time, even beating out the then POTUS Bill Clinton and other big names like Princess Diana and Cindy Crawford. 

After heeding the absurd fact, Jordan recalled being shocked after learning how he fared against those names. He said, “Well, that’s some comparisons, you know, but it’s the truth. They are all basketball fans. It was pretty eerie when they told me about that; I think I was very shocked by it.” 

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MJ’s uber-popularity during the height of his career will not be astonishing for many who are well-acquainted with his work. However, even decades into his retirement, the Hall of Famer has still retained his fame.

Michael Jordan was voted the most popular athlete in 2015

A decade into his retirement from the NBA, Michael Jordan still topped another popularity survey and was voted as the most popular athlete in 2015. According to the survey, Jordan received the most votes and was deemed The Harris Poll’s most popular athlete of 2015. Baseball great Babe Ruth came in second, while Boxing great Muhammad Ali was third.

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However, in an interview a few years ago, MJ remarked that Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James may take his crown down the line in the next 20 years.