pros are fans

Michael Jordan

Basketball.

Michael Jordan roots for the Charlotte Hornets (part-owner) and the Miami Marlins (part-owner). He used to own part of the Washington Wizards and part of the Washington Capitals. Background ties, not stated fandoms: the Cincinnati Bengals, the New England Patriots and the UCLA Bruins.

Born
February 17, 1963, in New York City, New York
Sign
Aquarius
High school
Emsley A. Laney (Wilmington, North Carolina)
College
North Carolina (1981–1984)
Played for
Chicago Bulls (1984–1993, 1995–1998); Washington Wizards (2001–2003)

From Wikipedia, checked 2026-11-06.

Solid, with a shadow: a fan, or a team he owns part of. Each receipt says which: his own words, a report, or the record of the stake. Outline: he used to.

Charlotte HornetsPart-owner since 2006. Receipt

“As part of Jordan’s investment in Johnson’s existing portfolio, Jordan will become the largest individual owner of the Bobcats after Johnson.”

The record of the stake: Charlotte Bobcats (team site), June 15, 2006. Backed by NBA.com (AP) (2023).

Miami MarlinsPart-owner since 2017. Receipt

“A person familiar with the situation says NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan has a small stake in Derek Jeter's investment group that reached an agreement to buy the Miami Marlins.”

The record of the stake: Fox News (AP), August 13, 2017. Backed by MLB.com (2021).

Washington WizardsWas a part-owner, 2000 to 2001. “NBA rules also required Jordan to sell his ownership stake in the Wizards.” Receipt

“NBA rules also required Jordan to sell his ownership stake in the Wizards.”

The record of the stake: ESPN, September 25, 2001.

Then: “The paperwork to sell his stake in both teams was completed Friday, and Jordan's lawyers ironed out the last few wrinkles to clear the way for his comeback announcement.” ESPN, September 25, 2001. original

Washington CapitalsWas a part-owner, 2000 to 2001. Receipt

“Jordan actually owned a piece of the Capitals, buying it when he acquired shares in the Wizards on Jan. 19, 2000.”

The record of the stake: ESPN, September 25, 2001.

Then: “The paperwork to sell his stake in both teams was completed Friday, and Jordan's lawyers ironed out the last few wrinkles to clear the way for his comeback announcement.” ESPN, September 25, 2001. original

Background

Cincinnati BengalsBackground, not a stated fandom. “I grew up a Bengals fan back in that era” Receipt

“I grew up a Bengals fan back in that era”

Reported by Cincinnati Bengals On SI, October 16, 2025. Backed by Yahoo Sports.

PatriotsBackground, not a stated fandom. “He’s a Patriots fan” Receipt

“He’s a Patriots fan”

UCLA BruinsBackground, not a stated fandom. “a big UCLA fan” Receipt

“a big UCLA fan”

Mentioned, not proven

  • Chicago White Sox. Unverified: we’ve seen this mentioned but haven’t found it in his own words or a reliable report. Where we saw it
  • Carolina Panthers. Unverified: we’ve seen this mentioned but haven’t found it in his own words or a reliable report. Where we saw it
  • North Carolina Tar Heels. Unverified: we’ve seen this mentioned but haven’t found it in his own words or a reliable report.

Solid, with a shadow: a fan, or a team he owns part of. Each receipt says which: his own words, a report, or the record of the stake. Outline: he used to.

What teams does Michael Jordan root for?

Three teams are tied to Michael Jordan in what has been published about him: the Cincinnati Bengals, the New England Patriots and the UCLA Bruins. None of the three comes from Jordan himself. Each is a background tie, reported by an outlet or another person, and none counts as a stated fandom. No start dates, end dates or timelines are given for any of them, so there is no way to say when any of these loyalties began or whether they continue.

Does Michael Jordan like the Cincinnati Bengals?

The Bengals tie comes from a quote carried by Cincinnati Bengals On SI on October 16, 2025: "I grew up a Bengals fan back in that era." The words are attributed to someone other than Jordan, so they describe him secondhand rather than record his own statement. Yahoo Sports carries the same quote. Because the outlets repeat one line from a third party, this is a reported connection and not a confirmed one.

What team did Michael Jordan root for growing up?

Jordan was born in New York City on February 17, 1963, and the family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1968. He attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington and then North Carolina, where he played from 1981 to 1984. The Bengals quote uses the phrase "grew up a Bengals fan," but it is not Jordan's own, and nothing about his childhood in North Carolina or New York explains a tie to Cincinnati. The Patriots and UCLA ties come with no reference to his childhood at all.

What is Michael Jordan's favorite NFL team?

Jordan has not named one in anything published about him. Two NFL teams, the Bengals and the Patriots, are tied to him through other people's words. The Patriots tie comes from Fox News, which said "He’s a Patriots fan." As with the Bengals, the words are not Jordan's. The team plays in Foxborough, and nothing in his own background, which runs through New York, Wilmington, North Carolina, Chicago and Washington, points toward New England.

Does Michael Jordan like the UCLA Bruins?

Yahoo Sports described him as "a big UCLA fan," again in someone else's words. It is the only college tie among the three, and it sits oddly beside his own college years, which were spent at North Carolina from 1981 to 1984. Nothing published here says when the UCLA connection began or whether it has changed. It remains a reported tie and not a fandom he has stated.

How does this line up with where Michael Jordan played?

Not at all, as far as the published material shows. His NBA career ran with the Chicago Bulls (1984 to 1993 and 1995 to 1998) and the Washington Wizards (2001 to 2003). None of the three teams tied to him is located in Chicago or Washington, and nothing links the Bengals, Patriots or Bruins to his birthplace, his upbringing or his time in the league.

Which other players share a team with Michael Jordan?

Caitlin Clark and Shabazz Napier are both reported Patriots fans, and Cooper Flagg has said he grew up one.

Questions people ask

What teams does Michael Jordan root for?

Three teams are tied to him: the Cincinnati Bengals, the New England Patriots and the UCLA Bruins. All three are background ties reported by others, not fandoms he has stated himself.

Does Michael Jordan like the Cincinnati Bengals?

Cincinnati Bengals On SI, on October 16, 2025, carried the line "I grew up a Bengals fan back in that era," attributed to someone other than Jordan. That makes it a reported tie, not a statement from him.

Does Michael Jordan like the New England Patriots?

Fox News said "He’s a Patriots fan," but the words are not Jordan's own. It is a reported tie, shared in reporting with Caitlin Clark and Shabazz Napier, and with Cooper Flagg as a former fan.

Does Michael Jordan like the UCLA Bruins?

Yahoo Sports called him "a big UCLA fan," in someone else's words. That is a reported background tie, not a fandom he has stated.

Each team, with its receipt

Other big names

Why trust this: every fandom here comes with the exact quote, where it ran, a link to the original and a copy we saved, and we fix mistakes in the open. How we know