Real Madrid star ranks Michael Jordan over LeBron James and NFL icons on sports legends meet-up wish list

Among the various sports icons from different fields, Michael Jordan has a tendency to stand out. He is widely recognized as one of the most popular hoopers, whether a person is a fan of the NBA or not. This was proved once again when an English footballer named the Chicago Bulls legend as the athlete he wants to meet the most.

That football player is Real Madrid’s midfielder Jude Bellingham. In a clip by Complex Sports on Instagram, Bellingham was asked which sports icon he would like to meet. He named a mix of NBA and NFL athletes in his response.

Among those he named, Jordan stood out as the number one guy on his list.

"Obviously Michael Jordan," Bellingham said. "He's like a reference for everyone who plays sports. I think he's obviously the one if I could meet one sportsman that's always my go-to answer."

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He also admitted that he doesn't watch the NBA a lot, but there were other players he wanted to meet. He went on to name Anthony Edwards and LeBron James before switching to NFL players.

Bellingham specifically named three quarterbacks who are regarded as some of the best in the sport today: Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen.

Former NFL QB says Michael Jordan's latest career move is to get ahead of LeBron James

Michael Jordan is returning to basketball but not as a coach or as an executive for another team. He is set to be part of NBC's crew as a special contributor when they resume their NBA coverage next season.

While the move might be exciting to some fans, former NFL MVP Brady Quinn believes Jordan has an ulterior motive. Quinn shared his theory on "2 Pros and a Cup of Coffee," saying that this has something to do with LeBron James.

"I think this is a GOAT move by the GOAT in Michael Jordan to jump ahead of where I think LeBron James would want to be at some point in time," Quinn said. (1:04 mark onwards)

James' playing days are coming to an end eventually, and he might not want to depart from basketball altogether when he does, according to Quinn.

The LA Lakers star is already somewhat involved in sports media with "Mind the Game," the podcast he initially co-hosted with JJ Redick before he became the Lakers' coach. Now, James has continued the podcast with former player Steve Nash.

Also read: "Michael Jordan isn't doing media to beat LeBron James": Chandler Parsons minces no words on former NFL quarterback's controversial take

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About the author

Miguel de Guzman

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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