Michael Jordan: “I’m cursed”

Michael Jordan rarely steps into the spotlight these days—especially not for sit‑down interviews—but he recently made an exception to talk about one of his newest passions: the NASCAR team he co‑owns.

In a conversation with Gayle King for CBS Sunday Morning, the New York–born legend opened up about what keeps someone with his legacy chasing competition. For Jordan, that fire now burns on the racetrack.

Competitive nature

“I’m a very competitive person. I think I’m cursed,” he joked. “I’m cursed with this competitive gene that, anything that I do, if it’s getting dressed, I gotta get dressed before my wife gets dressed. Those kinds of things — I’m cursed!”

It’s the same relentless edge that defined him as a player, the trait that created rivalries and even sparked confrontations during the Bulls’ dynasty years. The infamous practice‑court punch thrown at Steve Kerr is still the example everyone remembers.

Now 63, Jordan retired from the NBA for the third and final time in 2003 after a brief stint with the Washington Wizards—his only team of the 21st century. For two decades afterward, he focused on ownership, running the Charlotte Hornets until 2023 and continuing to invest in the North Carolina community that shaped him during his days with the Tar Heels.

A once‑in‑a‑generation icon—not just in basketball but in sports and business—Jordan stays busy with motorsports while keeping the public spotlight at arm’s length. That’s why every interview he gives feels like a rare drop of water in the desert.

He did, however, wade into the never‑ending global debate about the greatest basketball player of all time—himself, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul‑Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and others.

“There is no such thing as the GOAT, to me” Jordan said. “Not to me, only because I think we learn from other athletes, we progress the game. To say that one is better than the other... it’s not really right.”

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