Mike Tyson wanted to fight Michael Jordan in a Chicago restaurant as things turned ugly at the height of their sporting powers.
The two American stars are enjoying a renaissance with Tyson in the news over his planned return to the ring for exhibition charity fights and Jordan a screen sensation with his Netflix documentary series The Last Dance toping the ratings.
Jordan’s run-in with Tyson has escaped the TV recall but it has been detailed in a book by Rory Holloway, who co-managed Tyson in 1988.
The clash came when Jordan and Tyson were part of a select few celebrating NFL Hall of Fame Chicago Bears defensive end Richard Dent’s 28th birthday in Chicago.
Bears coach Mike Ditka, boxing promoter Don King, world heavyweight champion Tyson, and Holloway were among the guests who attended the party, held after the Bulls played the Atlanta Hawks.
Tyson was in the middle of his bitter breakup with wife Robin Givens and he was aware that Jordan had briefly dated Givens earlier.
“Mike Tyson’s sitting there with his drink of choice, a Long Island Tea, and when he drinks his real feelings come out,” Holloway wrote in his book Taming the Beast: The Untold Story of Team Tyson.
“I’m telling the server to water his drinks down because I see where this is going.
“Mike stares across the table at Michael Jordan. He says, ‘Hey man, you think I’m stupid? I know you f***** with my b****.’
“Jordan looks like he just seen a ghost. ‘I know you messed with her,’ Mike says. ‘You can tell me.’
“Jordan, it’s obvious he just wants to get up and run. He wants no part of this.”
Tyson also had a few choice words for Ditka.
“Mike turns to Ditka. ‘Man, you think somebody scared of you, all that racist s*** you been talking?’” Holloway wrote.
“He says to Dent, ‘Y’all scared of this damn white man, Richard? He ain’t nobody. You gonna let him talk that way?’
“It was a circus, for real, that night. Don King trying to change the subject. Me and John trying to hold Mike down.
“Mike telling everyone he’s going to bust Jordan’s ass. Jordan’s dressed sharp as always and he can’t get out of there fast enough.”
