Michael Jordan became much more than a basketball star in the early 1990s. He was a business empire in motion, with Nike, Gatorade, McDonald’s, Pepsi, and other major companies building campaigns around his name. Now, his former Chicago Bulls teammate Charles Oakley believed there was plenty happening behind the scenes to protect it.
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“It’s a lot of sneaky stuff in the NBA,” Oakley said on the For The Fellas podcast while discussing the way MJ’s image was handled, particularly when it came to his father, James Jordan.
This revelation came when host Brian “B-Mac” McIntosh raised the subject while discussing how the media portrayed James. He argued that coverage often painted Michael’s father as too involved and questioned whether the media tried to create distance between them. Oakley offered his own recollection of what he saw around Chicago as Jordan’s fame continued to grow.
“But sometimes they do that because they trying to market you. They trying to push you another way, and they don’t want no noise in the background. Dad might have had some background. So he trying to push MJ that way, and his dad was always right behind him,” he continued. “I watched that; I seen that happen.
“I was in Chicago whatever. But when they started winning, his dad was there more and more. You know they wanted to push him all about marketing. He was hot thing going. So they want to make sure ain’t no noise in the background when they was trying to a big deal with a Pepsi, one of these big corporations, the Fortune 500 companies.
“So they want to make all this MJ, his dad was coming, and they were trying to set like you said, his dad over here. MJ might be at home, but his dad is still in town having a good time, and so they can twist stuff around, and that’s what I don’t like.”
Oakley’s comments are his personal recollection, but the historical record shows James was far more than an overbearing parent hovering around Michael Jordan. A 1993 Los Angeles Times profile described James as his son’s “protector and best friend.” He traveled with Michael, spent significant time around the Bulls, and helped him escape the pressure that came with becoming one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. His presence also extended into the locker room.
Former teammates like Horace Grant said James helped everyone stay relaxed and had become like a father figure to the team. B.J. Armstrong similarly remembered him as a fun-loving and caring person. James also stood beside Michael Jordan when gambling became a major storyline.
In May 1993, Michael Jordan and his father traveled to Atlantic City before a playoff game. Reports questioned how late Jordan stayed at the casino, while MJ disputed the timeline. James defended his son and took responsibility for suggesting the trip to get away from the pressure surrounding him. His influence was not limited to protecting Michael from scrutiny.
Sam Smith recalled James giving his son advice before Game 7 of the 1992 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks. James urged Michael to attack early and score. Jordan responded with over 20 points in the first half. Smith later described James as helpful, friendly and decent.
Then came the tragedy that changed the conversation entirely. James was murdered in July 1993, and speculation quickly emerged that his death could have been connected to Michael Jordan’s gambling. Some media reports raised the possibility despite no evidence establishing such a link. Many criticized the role of journalism, which rushed to connect the tragedy to MJ’s gambling controversy.
The Bulls legend himself pushed back against the speculation. He maintained that his father’s death was a random act of violence and called reports suggesting a connection to his gambling “totally unsubstantiated.”
That’s why Oakley’s comments added another layer. It highlighted the tension between James’ actual role in his son’s life and the way his presence could be portrayed once Michael Jordan became a global commercial force.