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I was watching the Bulls dynasty a few years ago and I remember it discussing how at one point in the 1990s how Michael Jordan was more popular than the US president (The most powerful human on earth.)

I made a suggestion to my friend at the time and stated he had to be the most popular person in the world at the time with the NBA expansion to different countries via Dream Team 1992, Nike....ECT Hell then came Space Jam...

"I want to be like Mike." was a brand in and of itself.

My friend said Michael Jackson, to which I didn't have an answer because I never paid close attention to him in the 90s in elementary school.

I'd be curios to hear your thoughts about this...

Popstar MJ for sure

Popular music leaves a far larger cultural footprint than sports and basketball was much smaller so prior to the 93 allegations this was Michael Jackson. After the allegations and until his death Michael Jackson alternated between a joke and a sinister figure. Despite that he was still bigger than Jordan.

Early 90s? Michael Jackson easily, late 90s - I'd say Jordan MAYBE, Michael wasn't releasing any new music at that time from what I remember (and all the allegations).

Overall? Jackson easily.

Jackson, and it's not even close.

Jordan for sure. Maybe Jackson if you were talking 80s. Voters obviously weren’t alive at the time.

Michael Jackson was the most famous man on earth in the 80's & 90's, not even Jordan can compete with that.

Agree with others. Late 80s and early 90s it was Jackson for sure. Probably Jackson overall. But Jordan overtook him for the second half of the decade.

The Late 80s/Early 90s were fat times for Mikes. Jordan, Jackson, and Tyson. All three ended up in scandals in the mid-90s with Neverland for Jackson, the rape trial for Tyson, and Jordan's father getting murdered. Jordan weathered it all the best.



As a side note, I was not that keen to pop culture in the 80s and when I first heard other kids talking about Jackson I figured he must be a basketball player because of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson and I asked what position he played.

Jackson if we're looking globally. Even in the 90s he was bigger than anyone until the latter part of the decade when you can argue acts like the backstreet boys eclipsed him.

This is not even close lol. It’s Michael Jackson by miles

Michael Jordan has never spent a day in his life as famous as Michael Jackson. Some people are pointing out that Jackson became more polarizing than Jordan after the allegations, but that doesn’t mean Jackson still wasn’t vastly bigger than Jordan. It’s not close really.

Jordansexuals are delusional. This is Jackson and it’s not remotely close.

Jackson was huge!
Since the late '60s/'70s (The Jackson 5) when he was a kid. The whole family. Pop stars, music stars, TV stars, fashion, Disney, dancers, etc. Large global following. Into the '80s, '90s, early '00s.

Jordan, too. But more concentrated within the sport crowd and apparel world (shoes, jerseys) '80s, '90s, and '00s.

Great question. They were both huge global icons, but I'd lean more towards Jackson. "Pop" star.
King of Pop.

Wasn't Michael Jackson already a joke by the 90s? His 90s music sucks in comparison to what came before.

If I remember correctly for a couple years the most recognizable 3 people based on the entire worlds population were the two MJs and the Pope, but that certainly might me an apocryphal story.

Michael Jordan was a global phenomena. Michael Jackson was basically Jesus.

In fact i'd almost wager Jesus is the only figure more well known than Michael Jackson in the history of the human race.

Michael Jackson all day. Not everyone's into sports, but literally everyone KNEW King of Pop. Even grandmas would sing his songs.

The Laker Kid wrote:Michael Jackson all day. Not everyone's into sports, but literally everyone KNEW King of Pop. Even grandmas would sing his songs.

This lol

It's not close but keep in mind that Michael Jackson started getting fans in the early 70's and when Jordan was a rookie the other MJ was already well established as the King of Pop and Thriller had come out a year or two earlier. So from there he was never going to come close to catching up. Maybe 50-100 years from now people will look back and see them as culturally close and in the usa I would actually say they were somewhat close but outside of the usa I think it was hugely in Jacko's favor. He could basically sell out arenas anywhere in the world.

Cavsfansince84 wrote:It's not close but keep in mind that Michael Jackson started getting fans in the early 70's and when Jordan was a rookie the other MJ was already well established as the King of Pop and Thriller had come out a year or two earlier. So from there he was never going to come close to catching up. Maybe 50-100 years from now people will look back and see them as culturally close and in the usa I would actually say they were somewhat close but outside of the usa I think it was hugely in Jacko's favor. He could basically sell out arenas anywhere in the world.

Michael Jackson might have been the most popular and revered person that ever existed for a very very long time.

We need to slow these threads down fellas. There's over 4 months of off-season to cover.