Add Michael Jordan to the long list of Derek Jeter admirers.
His Airness was at the Stadium on Sunday afternoon, part of the Derek Jeter Day tribute before the Yankees fell to the Royals, 2-0.
“The thing I like about Derek, you see all the competitors and all his teammates [he’s played with], and I don’t think anybody can say one thing bad about Derek,” said Jordan, who wore a blue suit and was one of the last guests introduced, to raucous applause, during the ceremony. “He’s an idol to me, how he’s well respected in the game. He carries himself like every baseball player or professional athlete should. A very classy guy, very straightforward, very friendly.”
It was Jordan who handpicked Jeter to be part of the Jordan Brand line 15 years ago, taken with his professionalism, dedication and accomplishments.
“It was great that he could be a part of it because I’ve learned quite a bit from him,” Jeter said.
Jordan, 51, and Jeter, 40, first met in the fall of 1994, during the Arizona Fall League. Jordan, attempting to play professional baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization, said he could see the 20-year-old Jeter’s ability immediately and tried to pick up things by watching him.
“He was a great teacher, great educator,” Jordan said. “Just watching the way he carried himself, obviously you could see he was good at a very early age, and his success followed him.”
The two became friends, bonding over their on-field success and celebrity, and Jordan has followed Jeter’s career closely. On Sunday, Jeter called him the older brother he never had. With one more title to his name, Jordan has bragging rights, and as an older brother will do, he makes sure Jeter doesn’t forget his edge in the trophy case.
“He constantly reminds me that he has six [championships], and I have five,” Jeter said.
Like Jordan, a six-time NBA champion considered the greatest of all time, Jeter was at his best in the clutch. Better than most, Jordan understands what made Jeter so successful.
“Pressure situations usually determine who has put forth the effort, and it’s very obvious that he has put forth the effort in the right way because he has always responded the right way under pressure,” Jordan said.
Besides his knack for coming through when it mattered most, Jordan was most impressed by how well Jeter handled the cauldron that is New York City. He was under the microscope from the time he broke in with the Yankees in 1995 and has remained respected to this day.
“Being in the city of New York, where one little hiccup can fry your personality or perception, persona, and this kid’s done everything the right way,” Jordan said. “In this time and era, where very few people take the time to say, ‘What if?’ before they make a decision, he’s done that, and he’s made the right decision each and every time.”