Legendary basketball player and entrepreneur Michael Jordan was a member of the boat crew that finished second in the renowned White Marlin Open, which took place in Ocean City, Maryland over the weekend.
According to Sports Illustrated, the six-time NBA champion showed off his $8 million sportfishing boat at the famous annual event.
On day six of the 52-year-old deep-sea fishing competition, which is known as one of the biggest and richest of its type in the world, Jordan was on board the “Catch 23” when professional angler Trey “Cricket” McMillan caught a 71-pound white marlin.
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The New York Post reports that as the boat reentered Ocean City’s harbor, the six-time NBA champion was spotted standing with other crew members while the song “Sirius,” which was also his team’s entrance song when he played for the Bulls, played over the event sound system.
The yacht features a bespoke Air Jordan paint job that matches his private plane, and his crew includes his now-sober son Marcus, 34. Upon learning that they had advanced to second place in the event, the boat burst into cheers.
Second place receives a prize of $400,000.
Beating Jordan’s team by only 1 pound, Billfisher angler Dan Gough took home the projected $4.27 million first prize with a 72-pound marlin.
Gough told 7News, “Without a doubt, without a doubt. I’ll play him in cards, cornhole, and fishing. I’m not doing golf or basketball against him,” when asked if it made the win even sweeter to beat Jordan’s team by just one pound.
Another competitor, Jimmy David, likened the tournament to the Super Bowl of fishing, especially with a star like Jordan in attendance.
“The biggest tournament, people come from all over,” David told Coast TV. “Michael Jordan, all kinds of people. I heard they have the Secretary of the Navy over there and all kinds of celebrities. And the best of the best fishing. That’s for sure — the Super Bowl.”
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COAST TV reports that 211 of the 282 boats that entered took advantage of the opportunity on Sunday after the weather caused the event organizers to open fishing on August 9 and August 10.
According to The Express, Jordan is not new to the White Marlin Open. He originally entered the competition in 2023, intending to win the substantial $10 million cash prize, but he was unsuccessful that year. Jordan’s crew however caught a 25lb dolphin in 2021 and a 73lb white marlin in the following year’s Mid-Atlantic Tournament.
The yacht has ten rooms, which can accommodate eight guests and two staff members.
Because it has a range of more than 500 nautical miles and can reach speeds of 40 knots, its yearly maintenance expenses surpass $1 million.
Jordan made his first NBA court appearance in 1984. He would go on to play 15 seasons in the NBA while playing for the Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards. According to Forbes, he hauled in $94 million and was the league’s highest-paid player in 1997 and 1998.
However, Jordan’s biggest earnings would be off the court. Forbes noted that he earned an estimated $2.4 billion (pre-tax) over his career with brands such as McDonald’s, Gatorade, Hanes, and Nike.
A large chunk of his wealth comes from his paycheck from Nike, which has been his biggest financial and marketing backer. He became the first athlete to become a billionaire – his massive net worth (now $3.5 billion) was largely influenced by his deal with Nike, which would later give birth to Air Jordan.
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