NBA legend Michael Jordan has been mentioned as a possible Ryder Cup vice-captain following the appointment of Keegan Bradley as captain for 2025.
Bradley received the nod from the PGA of America on Monday to succeed Zach Johnson and lead Team USA on its quest for revenge against the Europeans at Bethpage Black in New York next year.
The New England player was a surprise choice just 10 months after Johnson broke his heart by deciding to pass on him in favor of captaining him in Rome.
But after Tiger Woods was snubbed from the spot, the PGA of America has apparently decided to cast its net wider and go in a different direction following the US’ 16.5-11.5 defeat on European soil last September.
And the organization has been urged to think outside the box when it comes to selecting New York’s vice captain.
Michael Jordan has been mentioned as a possible vice-captain to Keegan Bradley for the Ryder Cup
PGA TOUR radio host Jason Sobel suggested turning to college golf coaches for a wardrobe makeover.
The suggestion prompted a different idea from former caddie and ESPN writer Michael Collins.
“I think if we’re going to go outside the box, give me a college coach who’s not a golf coach or give me one from another sport,” Collins said.
“Back in the day, would it have been cool to have Phil Jackson in the room? Would it have been cool to have (Michael) Jordan?”
He went on to admit that he also would have no objection to former Alabama football coach Nick Saban joining Bradley’s team, as he “loves golf.”
“I have no problem with a guy like that being in the team room, whether it’s as an official assistant captain or unofficially,” Sobel agreed, referring to the Crimson Tide coach and NBA icon’s suggestions.
I guess Michael Jordan. Keegan and MJ play a lot of golf together. You’ll see some MJ presence.
“I have no problem with that, I don’t know if we’ll give him full captaincy, but look, we’re going to get out of the box. The box has been broken, we’ve crushed it. There is no box anymore.”
Bradley received the nod from the PGA of America on Monday to succeed Zach Johnson as captain.
The NBA legend is an avid golf fan and has regularly attended the biennial tournament.
Jordan is an avid golfer and fan, and has occasionally accompanied Ryder Cup team members Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele onto the course.
The former Chicago Bulls icon is a regular at the Ryder Cup but made a guest appearance at Le Golf National in 2018.
On the Wednesday before the tournament in Paris, he visited the visiting team’s dressing room and drew on his own experiences of away victories to inspire the campaign.
“Michael talked about how he always played on the road against tough opponents or crowds that were always against him,” Brooks Koepka told The New York Post. “It’s fun to hear a different athlete’s point of view or the way they approach it, and then you can take what you want from there.”
‘He said he didn’t listen to the crowd. I took it as he couldn’t wait to shut them up, and as soon as he left, they got quieter (and) you were laughing inside (and) you’d done what you wanted to do. I thought that was pretty cool.’
Fowler said Jordan regaled Team USA with stories “about some of the teams that were the toughest to face, the guys he faced and who he thought were the toughest, not just as a team but the individuals he faced and how he approached home games versus road games.”
The former Chicago Bulls icon made a special appearance at Le Golf National in 2018
However, he was apparently Europe’s secret weapon during the last tournament in Marco Simone.
European captain Luke Donald and Jordan are friends and neighbours in the same remote area of Jupiter, Florida (there is a house between the golfer and Jordan). They have been on holiday together. Jordan’s wife Yvette is a friend of Donald’s other half, Diana.
And Jordan reportedly celebrated Europe’s triumph in Rome over their fellow Americans last year.
Jordan joined Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Donald for three hours, watching Ryder Cup highlights and toasting the result.
However, the greatest basketball player of all time is a close friend of European captain Luke Donald (left).
Jordan, pictured with Donald’s wife Diane, lives next door to the golfer in Florida.
There were also controversial issues raised during the competition, such as money play. It was claimed that American golfer Patrick Cantlay refused to wear a USA cap because of the lack of compensation for players.
For most golf fans, it may come as a shock to discover that Jordan toasted alongside members of the European team. “He’s a big supporter of the United States,” said Shane Lowry.
“He was with us from six to nine,” McIlroy said. “We were talking about the issue of player salaries at the Ryder Cup and he told a story about the U.S. basketball team, The Dream Team, at the 1992 Olympics. ‘Do you think I could have been paid to play in the Olympics? These people don’t understand what it means.'”
“He saw the long-term value of winning an Olympics and said he ended up doing a lot better than if he had received the money at the time,” McIlroy added. “And that’s pretty much how I see it.”