Michael Jordan Reveals the Special Clause in His NBA Contract That Sums Up His Legacy

Michael Jordan is one of sport’s biggest icons. The six-time NBA champion and five-time league MVP remains, in many fans’ eyes, the standard through which all top players are judged. Perhaps Jordan’s greatest intangible is his trademark passion, and he recently revealed how the Chicago Bullsembraced that passion even as he reached the top of the sport.

Michael Jordan Talks About His Passion for the Game

While talking to sportscaster Mike Tirico, Jordan revealed that he had a love of the game clause in his contract.

Jordan said, “If I was driving with you down the street, and I saw a basketball game on the side of the road, I can go play in that basketball game, and if I get hurt, my contract is still guaranteed.” Jordan added, “I love the game so much that I would never let someone take the opportunity for me to play the game, away from me.”

Allowing Jordan to have a love of the game clause in his contract that gave him the option to play in open gyms or even outdoors on concrete was certainly a bold move by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and then-General Manager Jerry Krause, especially as the organization started winning championships.

While the clause enhances Jordan’s legacy even further, he points out that those types of clauses will never be allowed in modern NBA contracts, which is almost certainly financially motivated.

“It’s hard to be hungry when you have. Simple as that,” Michael Jordan

Winners don’t brag about what they have, they let their actions show who they’re becoming. pic.twitter.com/CY6qsLfj4M

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) December 3, 2025

Jordan made $93.8 million in NBA salary during his career, with most of that coming in his final two years with the Bulls, where he made $30.1 million in the 1996-97 season and $33.1 million in the 1997-98 season. The financial commitment to star players is much greater now, so many organizations wouldn’t want to risk losing such a lucrative asset.

The NBA is arguably a players’ league now, where star players can get coaches and general managers fired, as well as their teammates traded. If an organization were to void a star player’s contract due to an injury sustained in a pickup game, there could be some backlash around the league.

The organization may not be able to attract free agents or be on many players’ lists of trade destinations if things sour with their current teams.

Jordan’s passion and relentless pursuit of greatness have set him apart from other NBA legends. Lakers great Kobe Bryantis often mentioned as the one player who possessed a similar level of passion and determination as Jordan. Bryant’s Mamba Mentality lives on through many of the NBA and WNBA’s top players.

It’s fair to wonder if the Lakers would have rejected adding a similar clause for Bryant, who made over $300 million in salary during his career, if the topic was ever discussed.