Michael Jordan Once Used ‘the Most Expensive Wine’ on the Menu to Teach His Agent a Lesson About Respect
Among basketball fans, Michael Jordan is still spoken of with great reverence; even if you think LeBron James has taken the top spot in the GOAT rankings, it’s impossible not to respect all that he accomplished on the hardwood. It seems that MJ’s agent, however, needed to be reminded of that from time to time.
According to Michael Jordan, he once had trouble getting a word in during a dinner meeting with David Falk. Everything changed, though, once His Airness started ordering the most expensive wine on the menu.
Michael Jordan certainly earned everyone’s respect with an incredible career
Even though it’s been quite a while since Michael Jordan suited up for an NBA game, no one will forget his exploits anytime soon. It’s still worth noting, though, just how impressive His Airness was.
Although he infamously failed to make his high school’s varsity basketball team at the first attempt, Jordan’s career only went up from there. By the time he graduated, MJ had become a McDonald’s All-American; he then headed to the University of North Carolina, won an NCAA title as a freshman, and grew into a star.
Once in the NBA, Jordan only continued to strut his stuff. While the Detroit Pistons proved to be an early roadblock, His Airness’ greatness eventually won out. He won six championships in two separate three-peats, earned five NBA MVP awards, and took home virtually every individual honor imaginable.
On the back of that basketball success, Jordan became a massive pop-cultural presence. He’s incredibly famous, strikingly wealthy, and stands tall in the collective memory of sports fans everywhere.
And while you might think that resume could speak for itself, No. 23 isn’t afraid of flexing his metaphorical muscles on occasion.
His Airness once taught used a pricey bottle of wine to provide a lesson in respect
During his time in the NBA, Michael Jordan made plenty of opponents pay the price for crossing him. Even his agent, David Falk, it seems, wasn’t safe from occasionally feeling MJ’s wrath.
“We had a dinner meeting, and I couldn’t get a word in,” Jordan explained during a 2005 interview with Cigar Aficionado. “The meal was on his company bill. Anytime he orders wine, or orders anything, he checks the price. But that night, he was taking time out from what we were talking about to make sure about the price.”
Eventually, Jordan had enough and decided to use Falk’s concern about the price of dinner against him.
“So now I say, ‘Give me the most expensive wine, and he’s picking up the tab,” Jordan continued. “Then, I say, ‘Every time you interrupt what we’re talking about, I’m going to order another bottle.’ When I started ordering the ’61s, I quieted him right down, and we got through the conversation. That is a true story.”
Whether you’re playing basketball or having dinner with Michael Jordan, you can cross him at your own risk.
That story may sound unbelievable, but it fits well within the canon of Jordan stories
When you hear a story like Falk’s, it’s easy to think that things became embellished over time. Since we’re talking about Michael Jordan, though, the wine-ordering stunt becomes a bit more believable.
MJ stoked his inner fire as a boy, battling against his brother, Larry. As he grew up, that fire didn’t dissipate; if anything, it got stronger.
During Jordan’s time in the NBA, he proved to be a ruthless trash-talker. No one, whether they were a teammate, fan, or opponent, was safe from MJ’s wrath. Some men, like Steve Kerr, even absorbed a punch from His Airness.
And, away from the court, there are plenty of stories about how Mike pushed the bounds of acceptable behavior to claim the “W.” From cheating at Yahtzee to making a bit of extra noise on the golf course, everything is fair game when Jordan is chasing the win.
As Jordan’s agent, David Falk surely understood that reality. And if he didn’t fully grasp it, their dinner meeting made things abundantly clear.
