MJ didn’t appreciate Kevin Hart continuously mocking him one bit.
Whether confronting Steve Kerr with a punch or trolling Clyde Drexler during Dream Team practices, Michael Jordan often went above and beyond to maintain an upper hand over his peers. Ironically, he had zero tolerance for anyone daring to talk back. Understandably, as arguably the most celebrated basketball player ever, the five-time MVP established clear boundaries on how far others could go with him.
So, when Kevin Hart boldly roasted him at a formal gathering, “His Airness” didn’t hesitate to make his disapproval known, intentionally squeezing his hand a bit too tightly.
Hart belittled Jordan at his own charity event
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Hart recounted an interaction with Jordan at his charity event in Las Vegas. Noticing the serious atmosphere among the white-collared audience, Kevin, who was asked to host the event, decided to lighten the mood by roosting people. However, his biggest misstep was aiming his jokes at the 14-time All-Star, particularly about how high he wore his pants.
Unsurprisingly, unprepared for such a roast-comedy routine, didn’t the crowd receive these jokes well.
“I was like, ‘Man, what age do you get to where it’s OK to wear your pants that high, and nobody addresses it,'” Jordan said. “I was like, ‘Y’all telling me I’m the only one that thinks Mike’s past the legal limit for the waist.’ But it was like fun jokes.”
While most people would have backed off after sensing the awkwardness. Hart, true to his nature, decided to push further. Moreover, he went on to target Mike’s mustache with his jokes, which only exacerbated the situation.
“He had like the little square mustache at the time,” Hart added. “I was like, ‘What is that?’ I said, ‘It looks like a thumbprint, like you just smelled something.’ Nobody’s laughing…He’s actually giving me a look like, ‘You going to keep on going? You ain’t going to stop?’ So, I don’t care; I’m having a good time. I was laughing.”
MJ made Hart aware of his true feelings
Ultimately, the six-time Finals MVP was always a dignified superstar who ensured that the younger generation and his close peers maintained a level of decorum around him and conveyed his true feelings to the Jumanji actor when they met backstage.
“He shook my hand, and he squeezed it real hard, and he was like, ‘You have a good day.’ I ain’t seen him since. He’s still my favorite player… and if I see him again, I’m going to ask him about it,” Hart concluded. “I’m like, ‘You better lose the dude, man.'”
It’s fair to share that while NBA legends like Shaquille O’Neal have broken barriers by willingly participating in roast shows, where countless celebrities have made jokes about his personal life, career shortcomings, and physical appearance just for laughs, Michael Jordan seems to be cut from a different cloth. As the arguably the GOAT, the 61-year-old maintains a firm boundary and doesn’t tolerate anyone crossing the line of decency with him.
