Published 11:36 IST, May 11th 2020
Barack Obama reveals he could not afford to watch Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the 80s
Former US President Barack Obama appeared on episode 1 of Michael Jordan's documentary, The Last Dance. Obama recalled Jordan's growing popularity in the 1980s.
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Michael Jordan is widely considered to be one of the key faces who redefined the NBA in the 1990s. Having made his debut in 1984, Jordan quickly became one of the best players on the Chicago Bulls 1984 roster before becoming a global superstar and arguably the most recognised face in the NBA in the 90s. His latest documentary, The Last Dance, explored several unheard stories from his legendary career. While mostly revolving around the Bulls' 1997-98 season, the 10-part docu-series takes a look at Jordan's career right from the 1984 NBA Draft.
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Barack Obama broke, couldn't afford to watch Michael Jordan and Bulls in the 80s
The first two episodes of The Last Dance showed Jordan's impact at Bulls after being drafted as the No. 3 overall pick in 1984. Bulls' former GM Rod Thorn said on an episode of the documentary that everybody knew that Jordan was the best player on the Chicago Bulls 1984 roster. Jordan's arrival had an instant impact on the finances of the franchise as the stadium soon went from being two-thirds empty to selling out every game, according to the documentary.
However, among much fanfare for Jordan and the Bulls, former US President Barack Obama revealed he couldn't afford a ticket to see Michael Jordan play with the Bulls in the 1980s. Barack Obama appeared on the first episode of the documentary and was hilariously titled as 'a former Chicago resident'. Barack Obama said in the documentary, "When Michael first came to town, I didn’t have the money to buy tickets for a Bulls game, even the discount ones back in the day. I was pretty broke.”
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After completing his degree in Political Science from Columbia University, Barack Obama moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1983. After spending five years in Chicago, Obama headed to Harvard to complete his law degree between 1988 and 1991. After completion of his degree, the former US President moved back to Chicago before moving up the ranks and assuming office as US Senator in 2004. Now living in Washington, the former Chicago resident admitted to enduring hardships during his early stay in Chicago.
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The 44th President of the United States crossed paths with Michael Jordan in 2009 when the latter reportedly funded Obama's presidential campaign. The same year, Barack Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Jordan.
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11:36 IST, May 11th 2020