Despite facing a rare challenge, Michael Jordan excelled in the NBA. He became an inspiration not just for budding basketball players but also for athletes grappling with the same rare issue. Recently, a 3x All-Star revealed this rare issue to the fans and listeners. Gilbert Arenas, during his podcast show, ‘Gils Arena’ shared that Jordan is flat-footed. Indeed, only 8% of Americans face this challenge, with many of them being athletes.

The lack of arch support can make flat-footed athletes more vulnerable to ankle, knee and hip injuries. But despite having flat feet, many athletes have never considered it a disadvantage and have excelled in their respective fields. The 6x NBA champion is a shining example of that. Surprisingly, another basketball giant, Shaquille O’Neal, and soccer player David Beckham are also known to be flat-footed. In fact, even 8x Olympic Gold Medalist Usain Bolt is flat-footed.

While the flat foot isn’t always an issue, the afflicted people can face problems finding the right shoe for them. It gets even more complicated for the athletes. Hence, special orthotics and customized insoles help athletes, including NBA players. This adds a new layer to the Chicago Bulls legend’s sneaker empire.

Before we talk about how Arenas found out the fact, here is what he said about Jordan’s orthotics that were placed inside his shoes, “He (Jordan) was flat footed so they got to build the arch up.”

The orthotics take us back to the main scene. Let’s look into when and how Agent Zero found Jordan’s orthotics and shoes in the first place. 

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Gilbert Arenas stole Michael Jordan’s precious stuff

Michael Jordan joined the Washington Wizards in 2001. In the same year, the franchise drafted Gilbert Arenas with the 31st pick. That’s when he managed to acquire a bag full of Jordan’s belongings and clothing.

Among them were his game-worn jerseys, orthotics, and other items. Furthermore, he even revealed to have used one of Jordan’s orthotics during his games. While the other members were quite disgusted, Arenas believed it to have given him Jordan’s energy in the games.

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When Kenyon Martin asked him about the orthotic size and how he fit in that, Arenas shared that he had to cut it a little bit hence revealing this lesser-known fact to the listeners. The other members present in the room were quite shocked by the revelation. He has the entire collection of Jordan memorabilia safe with him. One of them was Jordan’s UNC shorts carefully framed with the Chicago Bulls legend’s signature on top of it.

Michael Jordan’s memorabilia are indeed precious but are they magical also? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments section below.