Michael Jordan: When Chicago Bulls Icon Paid the Highest Compliment to Ronaldo Nazario

Michael Jordan: When Chicago Bulls Icon Paid the Highest Compliment to Ronaldo Nazario

Edwin Kiplagat
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:23 PM
  • Michael Jordan once gave an immense compliment to Brazil football icon Ronaldo Nazario
  • Ronaldo and Jordan remain two of the most influential footballers of all time.
  • Ronaldo won two World Cups with Brazil, while Jordan won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls

Michael Jordan and Ronaldo Nazario are two of the greatest sportsmen of all time. The two won absolutely almost everything in their respective careers.

Ronaldo once revealed that Jordan paid him one of the greatest compliments, which was huge coming from the basketball icon.

Michael Jordan, Ronaldo Nazario, NBA, World Cup
Michael Jordan and Ronaldo Nazario inspired generations. Photos by Brian Bahr.
Source: Getty Images

There are no superlatives to describe Ronaldo. He was an elite striker in his playing days. His rise to superstardom was unlike anything anyone had ever seen in the football world.

The two-time World Cup winner not only had a lasting cultural impact on the sport, but he also inspired many footballers around the world. He still remains one of the best of all time.

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Meanwhile, Michael Jordan's dominance in the NBA in the 1990s with the Chicago Bulls lifted him to global recognition. The heights to which he took the NBA will surely never be replicated in generations.

Jordan's compliment to Ronaldo

In an interview with Marca, Ronaldo revealed that Jordan paid him the grandest compliment.

"He said to me 'you are the Michael Jordan of soccer'. I thought 'wow, that's a big compliment'."

Getting a compliment like that from Jordan is certainly a testament to his influence in the world of sports.

Ronaldo Nazario, Brazil, 2002 World Cup
Ronaldo is arguably the best striker of all time. Photo by Claudio Villa.
Source: Getty Images

The 46-year-old won the prestigious Ballon d'Or award in 1997 and 2002 and is perhaps best remembered for his performances in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups for Brazil, per Sportskeeda.

Jordan won two three-peats, cementing his status as arguably the best basketball player of all time. Jordan retired for the 3rd and final time in 2003, per AP.

NBA name MVP award after Jordan

Sports Brief earlier reported on the NBA naming the MVP award after Jordan, in honor of arguably the league's greatest-ever player.

Jordan is a five-time winner of the award, with the last one coming in 1998 when he led the Chicago Bulls to their last NBA Championship.

For six decades, the trophy was named after Maurice Podoloff, the league's first commissioner.

Authors
Edwin Kiplagat photo
Edwin Kiplagat
Edwin Kiplagat has five years of experience in journalism working as a Sports Editor at Africa Insight Communications and ESPN. Edwin Kiplagat is a Bachelor's Degree holder in journalism from the Multimedia University of Kenya.