5 Notre Dame Connections as Michael Jordan Celebrates His 62nd Birthday

The greatest basketball player of all-time turns 62 years old on Monday

June 5, 1998; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan in game two of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center. | Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The greatest player to ever pick up a basketball turns 62 today. For people around my age or a little older, there may be more talented players that play the sport, but none will ever be better than Michael Jeffrey Jordan.

Jordan of course starred at North Carolina before being drafted third overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 NBA draft and changing the league forever.

His accomplishments are well known and his talents indisputable, but on his birthday we look at the handful of Notre Dame connections Jordan had during his playing days.

Michael Jordan Never Played Against Notre Dame

Jan 29, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Former North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams with former UNC great Michael Jordan on the court as they were honored as part of the 1982 national championship team in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Michael Jordan accomplished many things in basketball but one thing he never did was beat Notre Dame. Then again, he never lost to Notre Dame either as the Tar Heels and Fighting Irish didn't meet in his three seasons in Chapel Hill.

Michael Jordan-Matt Doherty Connection

Mar 27, 1982; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Matt Doherty (44), guard Michael Jordan (23), center Sam Perkins (41), and forward James Worthy (52) talk on the court against the Houston Cougars during the 1982 Final Four semi finals at the Superdome. North Carolina defeated Houston 68-63. | Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

Jordan's college teammate Matt Doherty got into coaching following his basketball playing days, landing the Notre Dame head job in 1999. Doherty spent one season in South Bend before leaving for his alma mater as he spent three years with heading the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Michael Jordan-Bill Laimbeer Rivalry

May 1989; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; FILE PHOTO; Detroit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer (40) reacts against the Chicago Bulls during the 1989 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at the Palace. | MPS-Imagn Images

Michael Jordan of course didn't get to the NBA and immediately start winning championships. The Bulls grew in his first handful of years and in both the 1989 and 1990 Eastern Conference Finals, the Bad Boys Pistons disposed of Jordan's Bulls, before Jordan and Chicago finally got the best in 1991.

Former Notre Dame big man Bill Laimbeer was of course the biggest and baddest of those Bad Boys Detroit teams.

Michael Jordan-Danny Ainge Rivalry

An early Jordan rival in the NBA was Danny Ainge. Ainge originally played for the Boston Celtics and witnessed Jordan's famous 63-point playoff game at Boston Garden up close as a rival. Ainge also played against Jordan in the 1993 NBA Finals as a member of the Phoenix Suns.

Notre Dame basketball fans remember Danny Ainge of course for being a rival of their own, breaking Fighting Irish hearts in the 1981 NCAA Tournament.

Michael Jordan-John Paxson Connection

The point guard on the Chicago Bulls teams that finally got past Detroit and won the NBA Championship in 1991 was former Notre Dame star John Paxson. Paxson was a member of the first three championship teams with the Bulls, nailing the championship clinching three-pointer to beat the Phoenix Suns in 1993.

Joe Kleine, 1998 Teammate of Michael Jordan

Nov 18, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Former Arkansas Razorbacks and NBA player and current SEC ESPN analyst Joe Kleine prior to the game against the Pacific Tigers at Bud Walton Arena. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The 1998 Chicago Bulls remain the last Bulls team to win it all, doing so by beating the Utah Jazz in six games. A member of that team was Joe Kleine, who spent 15 years in the NBA after starring at Arkansas and being Jordan's teammate on the 1984 USA Olympic team that took home a gold medal.

So how does Notre Dame fit in?

Kleine spent his freshman year at Notre Dame in 1980-81 before transferring to Arkansas.

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