Michael Jordan and Michael B. Jordan are two stars in very different fields. On one side, there’s Michael Jordan, one of the most legendary basketball players of all time. On the other, there’s Michael B. Jordan, an actor who hasn’t reached Hollywood legend status yet but is definitely on his way. The first is 24 years older than the second, and they share the same name with just one letter difference. Is that enough to wonder if they are related? Are Michael Jordan and Michael B. Jordan father and son? Uncle and nephew? Cousins? Or complete strangers to each other? We’ll tell you everything because yes, some people seriously ask that question!
Michael Jordan and Michael B. Jordan have one thing in common
Out of the approximately 350 million Americans in the United States, there are a few thousand Michael Jordan’s (they’ve been counted). So, while there’s a small chance they could be from the same family, the two most famous Michael Jordans on the planet only share their identity.
The elder, Michael Jordan, was born in 1963 in Brooklyn, one of New York City’s boroughs on the East Coast. His middle name is Jeffrey. He spent most of his career as a basketball player in Chicago from 1984 to 1998, where he was the undisputed star of the Bulls and the NBA, winning six championships, five MVP awards, and two Olympic gold medals. He finished his career with the Washington Wizards in 2003 after a three-year mini-retirement. Since then, he has become a businessman and amateur golfer.
Michael Jordan and Michael B. Jordan, no connection…
The younger, Michael B. Jordan, was born in 1987 in Santa Ana, California, on the West Coast. The “B” stands for Bakary. And it wasn’t to honor the basketball player – already a star when he was born! – that his parents chose to name their son Michael. The actor actually shares the same name as his father, Michael A. “He didn’t really realize what he was going to put me through in the early years of my life,” he joked. But if he has a son one day, the actor from “Creed” stated that he won’t continue this family tradition. So, there may not be a Michael C. Jordan in the future!
Michael Jordan and Michael B. Jordan, worlds apart
Michael B. Jordan has repeatedly explained that he has no connection to the famous basketball player. But carrying the same name as the athlete has led to some teasing and annoyances, like when ordering pizza over the phone: “They thought it was a joke and hung up on me!” the star of “Sinners” recounted. “I went down once, slammed my ID on the counter, got two free pizzas. It worked.” But he also acknowledges that, in a way, carrying this illustrious surname has had a positive impact on his career: “It gave me a competitive spirit,” affirmed Michael B. Jordan. “It made me want to fight in everything I did. I thought I had to be as good, if not better, than him in his field.”
When he landed his very first role in an episode of “The Sopranos” in 1999, he was credited under the name Michael Jordan. The same happened in the movie “Hardball” two years later. He added the “B” as soon as he got his first major role in the series “The Wire” in 2002 to avoid any confusion with the athlete.
The two Michaels have ever met?
Have the two Michaels ever had the opportunity to meet and chat? Almost. In 2021, while being a guest on the Rich Eisen talk show, Michael B. Jordan revealed that he once crossed paths with his namesake at an All-Star event: “I shook his hand, and it literally lasted less than 10 seconds. I don’t even think he knew who I was at that moment.” Michael B. hopes to meet him for real one day – not just because they share the same name, but also because he admires the basketball player for what he has achieved in his life. They just need to find the right opportunity for that.
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