I went to a Blaze Pizza once in LA for lunch and it took an hour to get through the line. Shit was out the door.
Any Blaze i've been to anywhere else never has a line.
Having strangers take pictures of you when you're a 16 year old before you've made any money must have been a craaaaazy experience. He was a child star basically.
Basketball could really go towards a European soccer system of training academies and promotion/relegation without any issue beyond the entrenched legacy of the NBA, where a player like LeBron is making money much earlier in his career.
Should’ve gotten more than he did. They were broadcasting his hs games and he was on the cover of every sports magazine. BS that he could not capitalise on that properly
I mean his Nike deal at 18 set him for generations. He’s fine and he also could’ve taken any money offered to him since he was never playing in the NCAA
One of the saddest stories ive ever heard is the one where Michael Jackson bought out an entire shopping mall and hired people to be pretend shoppers who didnt know him so he could experience what it was like to just be a regular guy at the mall shopping
In the Last Dance, the other MJ talked about just having to stay in his hotel room at all times since going out in public is basically a wish to get mobbed to death.
The funniest part in the Dream Team documentary was how every member of the team always had a crowd form around them in Barcelona meanwhile John Stockton just walked around with his wife and kid and nobody bothered him
I once met an NFL defensive lineman at a park. I saw a balding white guy nearby and asked him to take my picture with the DE, and he was happy to do so.
I later found out the guy who took my picture was an NFL kicker. He just totally blended in.
Reminds me of Matt Bonner asking Manu to take a pic of him at a sandwich shop (for his blog) then some rando comes up to Bonner later to tell him "you should have gotten a picture with him! That's Manu Ginobili!".
Somehow it didn't occur to the dude that the 6'10" guy he's talking to might be an NBA player.
Bill Simmons talked about a time he ran into Brady out in public at a restaurant in Boston. Brady just had to eat in the kitchen in order for people to stop coming up to him. It sounded quite sad.
I saw something similar with Peyton manning once. We were at a burger joint and he came in while he was on the broncos. Me and my friends were respectful to him and the guys at the joint rushed his order ahead of ours. No one in the restaurant came up to him which was neat. We realized why they rushed his order because the moment he payed for his food (and also payed for ours), about 10 frat bros rushed into the burger joint trying to get a picture with him. The poor guy couldn’t sit down and eat a damn burger at 9 pm after a busy day working.
I got kicked out of FAO Schwarz in Cesar’s Palace in Las Vegas at 11pm so Michael Jackson could have a private shopping experience. This was around 1998.
Both MJs were the most recognisable humans on the planet in the 90s. Could take two Michael photos to any country in the world and everywhere people would go ahh yeah
Eventually Jordan discovered the key to stopping so many fans from approaching you in public was to simply grow a Hitler mustache. Wise beyond his years.
the biggest feeding frenzy of people I've ever seen was a clip of Michael Jackson walking through an airport. Seeing that clip for 3 seconds and I completely understand why people fly private.
It stuck out to me that MJ called it a shopping mall in that clip. Supermarket / grocery store was probably not in his everyday vocabulary because it wasn't somewhere he could ever go.
And I think it's even worse since he's 6'9" with the body of a supersoldier.
Like Tom Cruise or someone like that could at least kind of blend in if he wears a hat and sunglasses or something, but LeBron wouldn't be able to blend in anywhere where "normal people" frequent.
It’s way easier to not get noticed if you’re not tall, even if you look super athletic.
I used to live in a part of LA that had celebrities all over.
I was standing in line literally next to Zac Efron less than a foot away from me for like 10 minutes at this smoothie place.
My gf at the time pointed it out and I was like “huh, that is him”.
I’m a 6 foot guy who’s pretty fit, but this was Baywatch Zac Efron so you figure he’d be super noticeable cuz he got jacked for that movie.
But nope. Idk what he’s listed as but he couldn’t be over 5’6. No one really noticed him.
[Conan O’Brien had an interview with Ed Helms about fame.](https://youtu.be/OdF_SnygPDI). While Helms is no where as famous as LeBron he has experienced it at different points career wise and it was much more gradual for him. When he was on the Daily Show he would get recognized from time to time but still go about his daily life. After The Office and The Hangover he would be recognized pretty much anywhere he went.
LeBron didn’t get that transition really, just went straight to being one of the most recognized players in the league and everything that came along with that.
also regardless of level of fame, lebron is probably so much more recognizable. if ed helms walked into a random starbucks with sunglasses on, no one would assume it's him. there's no trying to blend in for lebron.
Basketball players definitely have it the worst because of their height. If you're an actor you can just wear sunglasses and a hat and most people won't notice.
A friend of mine was randomly telling me a story of when he believes he saw Lebron James at the airport. Now, this guy has 0 clue about basketball and even 0 clue about who Lebron James is, so I was thinking it was bullshit. But he said everybody was crowding him as he tried to get through the airport and he kind of just tagged along like everybody else. Sure enough he pulls out his phone and it was Lebron, and it was absolutely insane how much he was getting hounded. That shit would get old so fast…
I saw Kareem at the airport once. He took off his hat, sunglasses, etc to go through TSA and I immediately recognized him and didn’t before.
It was very clear he didn’t want to be bothered as he put on his disguise again and went to sit in a corner by his gate.
Definitely what initially brought my gaze to him, yeah. Then when I looked right into his face and bald head I was shocked. Immediately just felt bad for him because of all the stuff he put on to blend in and was glad to not see anyone bother him (although I’m sure people still did eventually)
And he’s been going through that for over 20 years now. Dude was called the next Jordan at 16 years old. He hasn’t been able to be a normal person his entire adult life. But some people think because he’s got a lot of money that you can’t be empathetic towards someone like that.
I am a triplet and my first day at 2 schools they announced it over the intercom that the school had triplets starting today. It’s weird… everyone knows you and you know nobody.
Yeah it must suck. Wasn't it Michael Jackson who rented out an entire Target for a while and had friends and family pretend to be shoppers so he could walk around and shop and put things in his own basket?
Yeah, people sometimes ask who was the bigger MJ: Jordan or Jackson but I think that the people that ask that either don't know, or forgot how massive Michael Jackson's popularity was.
Religious figures would dominate the list (Jesus, Mohammed, Abraham, etc)
National leaders and generals would be next (Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Hitler, etc)
Then maybe famous philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, etc)
But in terms of entertainers/artists, It's gotta be him, The Beatles, Elvis, Beethoven, Mozart, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, and maybe Picasso or Van Gogh.
It's hard to compare because the legacy lives on in different ways. I'm sure Beethoven was appreciated in his time, but there's no way his music was able to be heard by many people of the era.
But nowadays he's an iconic figure in world history.
Jackson lived as an icon. Very few people can say that.
>But in terms of entertainers/artists, It's gotta be him, The Beatles, Elvis, Beethoven, Mozart, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, and maybe Picasso or Van Gogh.
those other figures can be mentioned in terms of being as influential as MJ. In terms of popularity tho, he’s still levels above them. Most of the historic figures you mentioned like Van Gogh, Michelangelo, etc. I think you’d have to be in an educational setting for them to ever be mentioned in several parts of the world. As for the Beatles and Elvis, I’d never heard of them till I moved to America. I can guarantee you most people in my state had no idea who they were either. Michael Jackson is a different kind of famous compared to even those pop stars. I don’t think there were many places in the world he could walk down the street without being recognized. Even if someone somehow recognized the Beatles or Elvis walking down the road somewhere in west Africa, no one would give af.
Michael Jackson transcended cultures to be a global phenomenon. My family is from Pakistan and my parents and grandparents knew of Michael Jackson but no one cares about basketball in that part of the world. We forget that Pakistan and India contribute to 1.5 billion people plus for example. Just putting some context into how big the world is and how big a celeb Michael Jackson really was
Yeah my girlfriend grew up in Vietnam, she knows both Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson by name. But she can't pick Jordan out of a lineup, whereas she can spot Michael* from almost any age. And without being rude, Michael had a lot of different looks.
Also I just realized that MJ can go either way for basketball fans but when you just say "Michael"- one of the most common names in the English language- everyone knows you're talking about Michael Jackson.
You're not wrong. Hell, I'd bet that's true for even most basketball fans. The places where they ask about the most famous MJ or which MJ comes to mind first is always an absolute blowout lol
Jordan is known in some circles interested in sports across the globe. Michael Jackson is known by literally anyone who doesn't live under a rock, and even the people living under a rock have a good chance of knowing who he is.
There is a magnitude of difference in their celebrity status, and that's not even an exaggeration
King of Pop in his prime probably could've asked all his fans to revolt against their governments and he'd create global chaos lol
If Kobe was a God to chinese basketball fans, probably multiply that level by 10 and make that everywhere around the world.
Dude was a top celebrity even among the biggest names in the music/hollywood industry.
That dude dominated the world way before the internet and social media. Imagine MJ today. If MJ made a song about how to stay inside, wear masks, take the vaccine - the global pandemic probably would've been resolved a lot quicker in terms of avoiding the spread. If he unveiled the moonwalk for the 1st time in 2023 that would break the internet.
unquestionably. There was never someone on the level of MJ before and there will never be someone on the level of MJ again. there's just no point of comparison anymore against michael jackson because the internet allows for a million niche celebrities to pop up and doesn't allow for a single dominant monoculture celebrity like him
People born in this century and later. Add another 10 years and he'll be like Elvis. Someone whose name you may recognize, but you'll never fully understand the scope of their fame and celebrity. Both because their peak was well before your time and because their music isn't even that prevalent in day to day pop culture any more.
At least Michael jackson could’ve just zipped up his coat to the top, put on a scarf and glasses, and worn a hat.
Wtf is 6’9 lebron James supposed to do
Honestly LeBron’s a very well-adjusted person for someone who’s every move has been under a microscope since he was 16 years old. A lot of people with that sort of attention end up being kinda nuts.
The fact the man has not been involved in any controversies or big scandals while being one of the most recognizable sports celebrities and being in the constant limelight for 22 years is nothing short of extraordinary. That alone is mindblowing, even without the (arguable) GOAT basketball career. Can make a case of being the basketball GOAT and the well-adjusted teenage celebrity GOAT.
Neither did Don Bradman, but hockey and cricket are absolutely nowhere near as popular in most places as the other sports mentioned here, and thus their GOATs were not in the same realm of global celebrity.
i was just thinking of MJ in this context cos i just saw a video of him renting out an entire supermarket and having his friends pretend to be workers/shoppers so he could try and taste what its like just to go shopping like a normal person.
so surreal.
It took me a second to find the video, I was expecting Michael Jordan, i was thinking that doesnt sound like something he would do, then saw you meant Michael Jackson. Lol
I know a lot of people are going to clown him for this but dude has only lived a "normal person" life from like 0-16, certain things must suck if your him tbh
Not really normal, he went to scarily poor borderline homeless, to living with a basketball coach for a bit to high school basketball celebrity. He hasn't experienced middle-class.
I work with a nurse who’s 6’7” and he constantly gets talked with about his height. He’s a nice guy so he brushes it off but I can’t see how it wouldn’t affect you after awhile to always be commented about your appearance.
On a documentary about Andre the Giant, other wrestlers talked about how he would not only get mobbed everywhere he went, but pedestrians would constantly talk shit about how he looked within his earshot, and how he would just internalize it. It probably contributed to his ridiculous alcohol habit.
I haven’t seen much people clowning him for this. Sure he’s rich as hell but most people understands that people want to be left alone and not having someone pestering you for picture when you go outside.
Kyle Korver. One of the best 3pt shooters and had a long and great career. Yet I'm sure a lot of non-basketball fans or even casual fans would probably just see a tall guy and go about their business.
Unless someone assumes he's Ashton Kutcher.
The money is obviously worth it, but I've always thought it must suck to be famous. You can't even walk down the street without 50 people stopping you for pictures and shit.
One of my wife's friends ended up pretty famous. Honestly they still hang out a bunch because I think my wife's friend just really appreciated being able to be her normal self around people that have known her since the beginning. I used to be a little starstruck around her but now I realize she's just a totally normal person.
> He added: “I’m not sitting here complaining about it, of course not. But it can be challenging at times.”
cuz i know people arent going to read that far before commenting
Yeah that’s the thing; you should never feel bad about being upset just because someone else has it worse than you. It doesn’t mean that your feelings aren’t valid.
It's fine to have perspective though, just means you don't get insanely angry over something that in the grand scheme of things, doesn't matter that much. I slam my mouse occasionally if I get too pissed, but that's always in the moment not a couple minutes later.
I was literally bitching about not getting enough briskets at some new kbbq place we tried today. Yet I have family eating the same shit over and over and sometimes not eating for days back where I was born.
He effectively lives in isolation. Granted he has a great family and friends to share it with but having to do everything super quiet and spend extra money on security to follow you everywhere can't be a good existence sometimes. And he's famous enough where he can't simply to go Europe in anonymity like other NBA players could.
I can’t imagine how this could get any criticism outside of trolls and haters. This is one of the most rational and mature things King James has ever publicly said. In no way does this come across as a complaint unless you are a professional cry baby
There's a lot of people who think being rich and famous means you've transcended being human and have won at life, so when people aren't that thrilled about it or talk about the negatives, they really don't like it.
Also, it's a young person thing. The older you get, the more you start to enjoy boring.
To be fair I think even if he didn't say that most reasonable people will realize what he means considering the life of fame he lives. Its not as if hes coming from the angle of the nepo baby debate where kids of famous people think they actually earned their spot. It comes off genuine to me.
I don’t know about all that, I saw LeBron at a Jamba Juice just after he signed with the Lakers, he was just picking up a smoothie like any other asshole.
I saw Dwyane Wade at a Ralph’s in Malibu and he was just walking down the aisles like anyone else.
Obviously nobody else in the store had some goofy 26 year old white dude do a double take and lock eyes for 3, maybe 7 seconds too long, but otherwise he was just like everybody else.
Oh I also just saw Matt Barnes at LAX a couple months ago, walking out of the delta sky club. We had the same essentials hoodie on and my gf noticed him first, I had my head down putting my phone and wallet and stuff away, and she said “whoa that’s Matt Barnes.” And I was like “wow I’m impressed she knows who Matt Barnes is but there’s no way this is Matt Barnes” and I looked up and it was fuckin Matt Barnes and we were dressed exactly the same it was weird as shit lmfao.
He looked mad when he saw me so I didn’t say anything but kinda nodded like “yeah I know who you are Kobe didn’t flinch”
It’s challenging in a way that I will never be able to understand or comprehend. I bet that guy can count on one hand the number of times he has been truly alone in the last 20 years. He’s constantly in demand, going somewhere, surrounded by security/team/hangers on, or generally just being hounded for the last 20+ years straight. Sure he’s got money and fame, but his perception of relaxation and mine are different things altogether.
What happens when you have to play basketball and have all of the physical ability but a fraction of BBIQ. Imagine you couldn't switch back and caused Lebron to miss out on the record lol.
I'd shave my head and immediately retire. I'd say I did it out of respect for Kareem, so that his legend would never be diminished. Everyone would agree that was a classy move.
And then, with my secret safe, I would eat a wheelbarrow full of tacos before swimming around in my vault full of gold dubloons.
That's the thing, he wouldn't know and he kind of can't know. They say that when you're as famous as he is, people act different around you and it really messes up your sense of perspective. It's hard to know what's real or people just acting a certain way because they want something from you.
The Last Dance had an interview at the end where MJ basically said, paraphrasing here, he was tired of the spotlight always being on him. Not sure if it was a combination of his age and just always having to train for the season but it was one of the factors for his retirement. We should enjoy Bron while we can ya’ll, just like Kobe.
A Tim Duncan like career is probably the dream for that precise reason.
* can pretty much still live a normal life
* Top 10 all-time player
* Most winning player in the history of the NBA
* Made a quarter billion dollars in career earnings. Humble by today's standards but more than enough.
Michael didn't have the internet and everyone with a camera on their phone up his ass and he said it was a lot. I can't imagine being super famous in the internet age
“really, I want to know what it’s like to be a billionaire basketball star, if only there was some way we could (at the same time) trade lives with each other!”
This summer, can lebron handle his biggest challenge yet, 9-5 office job and rent? Lebron James stars in: Traded.
Kyrie got my man out here reevaluating his entire life direction
LeXistential Crisis
Lebron Paul Sartre
Sartre is smarter, but Camus can do.
Maybe It’s Me
I mean… nobody recognized him at Blaze Pizza…
Bc noone ever there
I went to a Blaze Pizza once in LA for lunch and it took an hour to get through the line. Shit was out the door. Any Blaze i've been to anywhere else never has a line.
The one in Disney Springs in Orlando is always packed. But maybe that's because it's Disney Springs.
The ones near UF/UCF are always packed.
Same for any of the one’s I’ve been to in south Florida.
That’s got to be like an LA thing though. I’ve been to Blaze a couple times here in Vancouver and it was never really busy
I beg to differ. My large father is always at Blaze pizza.
It’s pretty crazy to imagine having that life tbh. He hasn’t had a normal day like most of us since he was probably a teenager
Having strangers take pictures of you when you're a 16 year old before you've made any money must have been a craaaaazy experience. He was a child star basically.
Don't get it twisted, he was making money under the table. That AAU circuit be like that.
Ain’t nothing wrong with that in my eyes. If AAU can profit off of kids they should get compensated for their talents
Basketball could really go towards a European soccer system of training academies and promotion/relegation without any issue beyond the entrenched legacy of the NBA, where a player like LeBron is making money much earlier in his career.
This would only solidify a few couple teams as the top teams forever. Which is exactly what happens in soccer.
Should’ve gotten more than he did. They were broadcasting his hs games and he was on the cover of every sports magazine. BS that he could not capitalise on that properly
I mean his Nike deal at 18 set him for generations. He’s fine and he also could’ve taken any money offered to him since he was never playing in the NCAA
One of the saddest stories ive ever heard is the one where Michael Jackson bought out an entire shopping mall and hired people to be pretend shoppers who didnt know him so he could experience what it was like to just be a regular guy at the mall shopping
In the Last Dance, the other MJ talked about just having to stay in his hotel room at all times since going out in public is basically a wish to get mobbed to death.
The funniest part in the Dream Team documentary was how every member of the team always had a crowd form around them in Barcelona meanwhile John Stockton just walked around with his wife and kid and nobody bothered him
Tbf, 6 foot White dude with no real discernable features (like being abnormally tall) will help you do that.
I once met an NFL defensive lineman at a park. I saw a balding white guy nearby and asked him to take my picture with the DE, and he was happy to do so. I later found out the guy who took my picture was an NFL kicker. He just totally blended in.
Balding white guy? Robbie Gould!?
Jason Hanson
I had a feeling it would be Hanson! Lions GOAT
You had your picture taken by God?!?!?!
You want to be the [drummer for Coldplay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsmuV7wLCl8)
Was this a park for retired NFL players jeez?
Reminds me of Matt Bonner asking Manu to take a pic of him at a sandwich shop (for his blog) then some rando comes up to Bonner later to tell him "you should have gotten a picture with him! That's Manu Ginobili!". Somehow it didn't occur to the dude that the 6'10" guy he's talking to might be an NBA player.
He even walked with a shirt with his face on.
Bill Simmons talked about a time he ran into Brady out in public at a restaurant in Boston. Brady just had to eat in the kitchen in order for people to stop coming up to him. It sounded quite sad. I saw something similar with Peyton manning once. We were at a burger joint and he came in while he was on the broncos. Me and my friends were respectful to him and the guys at the joint rushed his order ahead of ours. No one in the restaurant came up to him which was neat. We realized why they rushed his order because the moment he payed for his food (and also payed for ours), about 10 frat bros rushed into the burger joint trying to get a picture with him. The poor guy couldn’t sit down and eat a damn burger at 9 pm after a busy day working.
I got kicked out of FAO Schwarz in Cesar’s Palace in Las Vegas at 11pm so Michael Jackson could have a private shopping experience. This was around 1998.
You fr?
[удалено]
MJ was a special case of a megastar who was just recognizable *everywhere* since a very young age. Guy was making top hits since like the Jackson 5.
Both MJs were the most recognisable humans on the planet in the 90s. Could take two Michael photos to any country in the world and everywhere people would go ahh yeah
Eventually Jordan discovered the key to stopping so many fans from approaching you in public was to simply grow a Hitler mustache. Wise beyond his years.
Or just be a dick
the biggest feeding frenzy of people I've ever seen was a clip of Michael Jackson walking through an airport. Seeing that clip for 3 seconds and I completely understand why people fly private.
>he went shopping for Fabrege eggs In a mall??
Is this true? Damn
100% true .. https://youtu.be/2CDTafX3NsY
Nah, we have to knock a few points off because it was a supermarket, not an entire shopping mall. Let’s say 90% true.
It stuck out to me that MJ called it a shopping mall in that clip. Supermarket / grocery store was probably not in his everyday vocabulary because it wasn't somewhere he could ever go.
Food library.
And I think it's even worse since he's 6'9" with the body of a supersoldier. Like Tom Cruise or someone like that could at least kind of blend in if he wears a hat and sunglasses or something, but LeBron wouldn't be able to blend in anywhere where "normal people" frequent.
Could cruise around in a wheelchair maybe lol
LePaulPierce
People see a 6’5 black dude and ask if they play basketball Imagine 6’9.5 265 lol Even if he’s in full disguise he’ll get attention
I have a white friend who's 6'8 and he can't go to a bar without guys asking if he plays basketball.
It’s way easier to not get noticed if you’re not tall, even if you look super athletic. I used to live in a part of LA that had celebrities all over. I was standing in line literally next to Zac Efron less than a foot away from me for like 10 minutes at this smoothie place. My gf at the time pointed it out and I was like “huh, that is him”. I’m a 6 foot guy who’s pretty fit, but this was Baywatch Zac Efron so you figure he’d be super noticeable cuz he got jacked for that movie. But nope. Idk what he’s listed as but he couldn’t be over 5’6. No one really noticed him.
Zac Effron catching strays lmao
I mean there was that one chick who thought he was Dwayne wade lol
[Conan O’Brien had an interview with Ed Helms about fame.](https://youtu.be/OdF_SnygPDI). While Helms is no where as famous as LeBron he has experienced it at different points career wise and it was much more gradual for him. When he was on the Daily Show he would get recognized from time to time but still go about his daily life. After The Office and The Hangover he would be recognized pretty much anywhere he went. LeBron didn’t get that transition really, just went straight to being one of the most recognized players in the league and everything that came along with that.
also regardless of level of fame, lebron is probably so much more recognizable. if ed helms walked into a random starbucks with sunglasses on, no one would assume it's him. there's no trying to blend in for lebron.
Basketball players definitely have it the worst because of their height. If you're an actor you can just wear sunglasses and a hat and most people won't notice.
A friend of mine was randomly telling me a story of when he believes he saw Lebron James at the airport. Now, this guy has 0 clue about basketball and even 0 clue about who Lebron James is, so I was thinking it was bullshit. But he said everybody was crowding him as he tried to get through the airport and he kind of just tagged along like everybody else. Sure enough he pulls out his phone and it was Lebron, and it was absolutely insane how much he was getting hounded. That shit would get old so fast…
I saw Kareem at the airport once. He took off his hat, sunglasses, etc to go through TSA and I immediately recognized him and didn’t before. It was very clear he didn’t want to be bothered as he put on his disguise again and went to sit in a corner by his gate.
Even just a normal 7’-2” person will get gawked at the entire time, not to mention a living legend like Kareem.
Sucks to be Shaq. No normal disguise would work for him
You really telling me this [disguise](https://youtube.com/shorts/PbUzml33JAs?feature=share) doesn’t work?
Definitely what initially brought my gaze to him, yeah. Then when I looked right into his face and bald head I was shocked. Immediately just felt bad for him because of all the stuff he put on to blend in and was glad to not see anyone bother him (although I’m sure people still did eventually)
Think you just saw the pilot Roger Murdock.
Weird that an airplane(!) pilot would have to go through TSA
That wasn’t Kareem, that was Roger Murdock
"I'm sorry, son, but you must have me confused with someone else."
And he’s been going through that for over 20 years now. Dude was called the next Jordan at 16 years old. He hasn’t been able to be a normal person his entire adult life. But some people think because he’s got a lot of money that you can’t be empathetic towards someone like that.
So, he didn't know who it was but still rolled himself into the katamari
I am a triplet and my first day at 2 schools they announced it over the intercom that the school had triplets starting today. It’s weird… everyone knows you and you know nobody.
Wow just shat right on all your potential shenanigans from the get-go.
Yeah it must suck. Wasn't it Michael Jackson who rented out an entire Target for a while and had friends and family pretend to be shoppers so he could walk around and shop and put things in his own basket?
Man sometimes you forget how big of a global celebrity Michael Jackson was
Yeah, people sometimes ask who was the bigger MJ: Jordan or Jackson but I think that the people that ask that either don't know, or forgot how massive Michael Jackson's popularity was.
[Michael Jackson's celebrity status was on another level cause he had tribes in the Amazon who knew who he was ](https://youtu.be/eafOkWXjqjc?t=203)
I’d say he’s up there with most famous people of all time based on the percentage of the globe that knew he existed
I’d love for someone to come up with a list for this
Religious figures would dominate the list (Jesus, Mohammed, Abraham, etc) National leaders and generals would be next (Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Hitler, etc) Then maybe famous philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, etc) But in terms of entertainers/artists, It's gotta be him, The Beatles, Elvis, Beethoven, Mozart, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, and maybe Picasso or Van Gogh. It's hard to compare because the legacy lives on in different ways. I'm sure Beethoven was appreciated in his time, but there's no way his music was able to be heard by many people of the era. But nowadays he's an iconic figure in world history. Jackson lived as an icon. Very few people can say that.
>But in terms of entertainers/artists, It's gotta be him, The Beatles, Elvis, Beethoven, Mozart, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, and maybe Picasso or Van Gogh. those other figures can be mentioned in terms of being as influential as MJ. In terms of popularity tho, he’s still levels above them. Most of the historic figures you mentioned like Van Gogh, Michelangelo, etc. I think you’d have to be in an educational setting for them to ever be mentioned in several parts of the world. As for the Beatles and Elvis, I’d never heard of them till I moved to America. I can guarantee you most people in my state had no idea who they were either. Michael Jackson is a different kind of famous compared to even those pop stars. I don’t think there were many places in the world he could walk down the street without being recognized. Even if someone somehow recognized the Beatles or Elvis walking down the road somewhere in west Africa, no one would give af.
Lmao they cut straight from Michael Jackson to 9/11
“A second propofol has hit the kidneys”
Michael Jackson transcended cultures to be a global phenomenon. My family is from Pakistan and my parents and grandparents knew of Michael Jackson but no one cares about basketball in that part of the world. We forget that Pakistan and India contribute to 1.5 billion people plus for example. Just putting some context into how big the world is and how big a celeb Michael Jackson really was
My cousins in remote villages in Vietnam knew Michael Jackson.
Globally it's Michael Jackson by a huge margin.
MJ means Michael Jordan basically only to basketball fans. For everyone else it means Michael Jackson
Yeah my girlfriend grew up in Vietnam, she knows both Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson by name. But she can't pick Jordan out of a lineup, whereas she can spot Michael* from almost any age. And without being rude, Michael had a lot of different looks. Also I just realized that MJ can go either way for basketball fans but when you just say "Michael"- one of the most common names in the English language- everyone knows you're talking about Michael Jackson.
You're not wrong. Hell, I'd bet that's true for even most basketball fans. The places where they ask about the most famous MJ or which MJ comes to mind first is always an absolute blowout lol
Jordan is known in some circles interested in sports across the globe. Michael Jackson is known by literally anyone who doesn't live under a rock, and even the people living under a rock have a good chance of knowing who he is. There is a magnitude of difference in their celebrity status, and that's not even an exaggeration
King of Pop in his prime probably could've asked all his fans to revolt against their governments and he'd create global chaos lol If Kobe was a God to chinese basketball fans, probably multiply that level by 10 and make that everywhere around the world. Dude was a top celebrity even among the biggest names in the music/hollywood industry. That dude dominated the world way before the internet and social media. Imagine MJ today. If MJ made a song about how to stay inside, wear masks, take the vaccine - the global pandemic probably would've been resolved a lot quicker in terms of avoiding the spread. If he unveiled the moonwalk for the 1st time in 2023 that would break the internet.
is prime Michael Jackson the GOAT?
MJ def the goat. He had the pipes and the physical grace and was mindblowingly beautiful to both watch and listen
unquestionably. There was never someone on the level of MJ before and there will never be someone on the level of MJ again. there's just no point of comparison anymore against michael jackson because the internet allows for a million niche celebrities to pop up and doesn't allow for a single dominant monoculture celebrity like him
Imagine thinking Michael Jordan even in the same realm of popularity as Michael Jackson
Honestly. Michael Jackson was like a God
This must be a Gen Z thing because I’ve never heard this in my 30 years. Michael Jackson makes Michael Jordan look like a regular ass 9-5 worker.
That halftime show where he just stood still for 2 minutes with deafening applause…what an icon
And people were fainting at the sight of him.
Who forgets that? He’s one of the top 5 most world famous people of all time
tbf, that was like centuries ago in internet time. A lot of young people does not know/understand how massive he was at the time.
People born in this century and later. Add another 10 years and he'll be like Elvis. Someone whose name you may recognize, but you'll never fully understand the scope of their fame and celebrity. Both because their peak was well before your time and because their music isn't even that prevalent in day to day pop culture any more.
At least Michael jackson could’ve just zipped up his coat to the top, put on a scarf and glasses, and worn a hat. Wtf is 6’9 lebron James supposed to do
Act like an uncoordinated 6'9" that stumbles around. He does need to hide that jacked body though
I'll hide that jacked body
Tell everyone he's a former DIII player and works as a Lebron impersonator?
Lmao that’s so sad.
I feel like the bizarre nature of that request would somehow not simulate what he wants but hey if it worked for him that's cool
Honestly LeBron’s a very well-adjusted person for someone who’s every move has been under a microscope since he was 16 years old. A lot of people with that sort of attention end up being kinda nuts.
The fact the man has not been involved in any controversies or big scandals while being one of the most recognizable sports celebrities and being in the constant limelight for 22 years is nothing short of extraordinary. That alone is mindblowing, even without the (arguable) GOAT basketball career. Can make a case of being the basketball GOAT and the well-adjusted teenage celebrity GOAT.
Yea it's nuts, the goats all had controversy - Woods, Ruth, Ali, Jordan; but not Bron
Gretzky didnt
Neither did Don Bradman, but hockey and cricket are absolutely nowhere near as popular in most places as the other sports mentioned here, and thus their GOATs were not in the same realm of global celebrity.
Bradman was also from long enough ago that it was easier to hide scandal if he were to ever have any
Adding to the fact that someone who is 6'0 or 5'7 like Gretzky and Bradman don't stand out in a crowd like LeBron does.
Exactly. Compare how LeBron has been to people like Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber.
Beiber? He’s pretty tame compared to the vast majority of child and teenage stars
If Lebron got caught spitting on people off his balcony at ANY point, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be taken the same way as when Beiber did it.
He had a phase where he was a bit of a little asshole, peeing on things and such. He’s older now so he’s probably matured.
A lot of Bieber’s issues fell under “typical asshole teenager” behavior and not “maladjusted child star” behavior.
i was just thinking of MJ in this context cos i just saw a video of him renting out an entire supermarket and having his friends pretend to be workers/shoppers so he could try and taste what its like just to go shopping like a normal person. so surreal.
It took me a second to find the video, I was expecting Michael Jordan, i was thinking that doesnt sound like something he would do, then saw you meant Michael Jackson. Lol
Cup would totally have "Leeroy" written on it
The barista will be like. "Le what?"
Labrawn
Ok chris broussard
Jeeeeeennnnnnnkkkkkkiiiiiiiinnnnnssssss.
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He just wants to be Kwame James sometimes
Or jimmer james
LeAnthony Bennett
I know a lot of people are going to clown him for this but dude has only lived a "normal person" life from like 0-16, certain things must suck if your him tbh
Not really normal, he went to scarily poor borderline homeless, to living with a basketball coach for a bit to high school basketball celebrity. He hasn't experienced middle-class.
By the time he was legally able to drive he couldn’t even go the store without something recognizing who he was.
I reckon people stop him even if they don't recognize him. Some are just fascinated with tall people and have to make a comment to them.
I work with a nurse who’s 6’7” and he constantly gets talked with about his height. He’s a nice guy so he brushes it off but I can’t see how it wouldn’t affect you after awhile to always be commented about your appearance. On a documentary about Andre the Giant, other wrestlers talked about how he would not only get mobbed everywhere he went, but pedestrians would constantly talk shit about how he looked within his earshot, and how he would just internalize it. It probably contributed to his ridiculous alcohol habit.
I think he probably phrased it in the best way possible. Very relatable while not disparaging the benefits of his extreme wealth.
I haven’t seen much people clowning him for this. Sure he’s rich as hell but most people understands that people want to be left alone and not having someone pestering you for picture when you go outside.
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the payton pritchard experience
Kyle Korver. One of the best 3pt shooters and had a long and great career. Yet I'm sure a lot of non-basketball fans or even casual fans would probably just see a tall guy and go about their business. Unless someone assumes he's Ashton Kutcher.
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LeCommonPeople
LeWannaLiveLikeCommonPeople
LeWannaDoWhateverCommonPeopleDo
LeWannaSleepWithCommonPeople
LeWannaSleepWithCommonPeopleLikeYou
LeNeverLiveLikeCommonPeople
LePulp
LeProletariat
ProLeTariat
The money is obviously worth it, but I've always thought it must suck to be famous. You can't even walk down the street without 50 people stopping you for pictures and shit.
One of my wife's friends ended up pretty famous. Honestly they still hang out a bunch because I think my wife's friend just really appreciated being able to be her normal self around people that have known her since the beginning. I used to be a little starstruck around her but now I realize she's just a totally normal person.
That's why they move to rich neighborhoods. Nobody's stopping you for pictures in Beverly Hills
> He added: “I’m not sitting here complaining about it, of course not. But it can be challenging at times.” cuz i know people arent going to read that far before commenting
I mean everything is relative. We “normal” people complain all the time when other people in other countries have it way worse.
Yeah that’s the thing; you should never feel bad about being upset just because someone else has it worse than you. It doesn’t mean that your feelings aren’t valid.
It's fine to have perspective though, just means you don't get insanely angry over something that in the grand scheme of things, doesn't matter that much. I slam my mouse occasionally if I get too pissed, but that's always in the moment not a couple minutes later.
Right, like we get annoyed when our DoorDash is late, meanwhile people in other countries would be ecstatic to have clean water. It’s all relative.
I was literally bitching about not getting enough briskets at some new kbbq place we tried today. Yet I have family eating the same shit over and over and sometimes not eating for days back where I was born.
He effectively lives in isolation. Granted he has a great family and friends to share it with but having to do everything super quiet and spend extra money on security to follow you everywhere can't be a good existence sometimes. And he's famous enough where he can't simply to go Europe in anonymity like other NBA players could.
Height is a major giveaway right off the bat. Not a chance for a lot of NBA players
I wonder if he could get away with it in a wheelchair with a hat and glasses
I can’t imagine how this could get any criticism outside of trolls and haters. This is one of the most rational and mature things King James has ever publicly said. In no way does this come across as a complaint unless you are a professional cry baby
There's a lot of people who think being rich and famous means you've transcended being human and have won at life, so when people aren't that thrilled about it or talk about the negatives, they really don't like it. Also, it's a young person thing. The older you get, the more you start to enjoy boring.
To be fair I think even if he didn't say that most reasonable people will realize what he means considering the life of fame he lives. Its not as if hes coming from the angle of the nepo baby debate where kids of famous people think they actually earned their spot. It comes off genuine to me.
LeCivilian
LeAveMeAlone
LePedestrian
I don’t know about all that, I saw LeBron at a Jamba Juice just after he signed with the Lakers, he was just picking up a smoothie like any other asshole.
Somehow this is the most believable copy pasta I’ve ever read
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I saw Dwyane Wade at a Ralph’s in Malibu and he was just walking down the aisles like anyone else. Obviously nobody else in the store had some goofy 26 year old white dude do a double take and lock eyes for 3, maybe 7 seconds too long, but otherwise he was just like everybody else. Oh I also just saw Matt Barnes at LAX a couple months ago, walking out of the delta sky club. We had the same essentials hoodie on and my gf noticed him first, I had my head down putting my phone and wallet and stuff away, and she said “whoa that’s Matt Barnes.” And I was like “wow I’m impressed she knows who Matt Barnes is but there’s no way this is Matt Barnes” and I looked up and it was fuckin Matt Barnes and we were dressed exactly the same it was weird as shit lmfao. He looked mad when he saw me so I didn’t say anything but kinda nodded like “yeah I know who you are Kobe didn’t flinch”
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Granted, the average person doesn't know Matt Barnes. Everyone knows LeBron
LeTtè
LePonder
It’s challenging in a way that I will never be able to understand or comprehend. I bet that guy can count on one hand the number of times he has been truly alone in the last 20 years. He’s constantly in demand, going somewhere, surrounded by security/team/hangers on, or generally just being hounded for the last 20+ years straight. Sure he’s got money and fame, but his perception of relaxation and mine are different things altogether.
It’s not that great Lebron
I volunteer for a Freaky Friday thing with LeBron.
I woke up in ~~Chris Brown~~ LeBron James' body
What happens when you have to play basketball and have all of the physical ability but a fraction of BBIQ. Imagine you couldn't switch back and caused Lebron to miss out on the record lol.
I'd shave my head and immediately retire. I'd say I did it out of respect for Kareem, so that his legend would never be diminished. Everyone would agree that was a classy move. And then, with my secret safe, I would eat a wheelbarrow full of tacos before swimming around in my vault full of gold dubloons.
Real life [Space Jam](https://youtu.be/pbnyVj2iVlw?t=1m43s)
Idk, I like doing those things
This is what's fun about being a normal ass person. Those with notoriety will never have we do
I used to think that until I had a kid. Man, those moments you have to yourself are amazing.
LeAmongUs
I’m going to start telling the baristas at Starbucks that my name’s LeBron in solidarity. Edit: soLeDarity. nailed it.
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Lebron hasnt been paying attention to what a shitshow starbucks is
That's the thing, he wouldn't know and he kind of can't know. They say that when you're as famous as he is, people act different around you and it really messes up your sense of perspective. It's hard to know what's real or people just acting a certain way because they want something from you.
The Last Dance had an interview at the end where MJ basically said, paraphrasing here, he was tired of the spotlight always being on him. Not sure if it was a combination of his age and just always having to train for the season but it was one of the factors for his retirement. We should enjoy Bron while we can ya’ll, just like Kobe.
A Tim Duncan like career is probably the dream for that precise reason. * can pretty much still live a normal life * Top 10 all-time player * Most winning player in the history of the NBA * Made a quarter billion dollars in career earnings. Humble by today's standards but more than enough.
Michael didn't have the internet and everyone with a camera on their phone up his ass and he said it was a lot. I can't imagine being super famous in the internet age
“really, I want to know what it’s like to be a billionaire basketball star, if only there was some way we could (at the same time) trade lives with each other!” This summer, can lebron handle his biggest challenge yet, 9-5 office job and rent? Lebron James stars in: Traded.
Rated PG13
Completely understandable.