The third movie of the Rocky franchise spinoff, Creed III, has hit the theaters and Michael B. Jordan has become the talk of the town for his career-defining appearances in all the Creed movies as well as his much anticipated directorial debut of Creed III.
While Jordan is certainly not a new name in the entertainment industry — thanks to his impressive career path as well as noteworthy appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Killmonger — he is often confused with the basketball legend, Michael Jordan.
Are Michael B. Jordan and Michael Jordan related? Is the former’s name inspired by the latter? These are some of the questions that are often asked in relation to the similarity of their names. It would be helpful to shed some light on the same to steer the confusion away. Let’s dig in.
Are Michael B. Jordan and Michael Jordan related?
Are Michael B. Jordan and Michael Jordan related?
The truth is that the only point of connection between both of them is sports. By leading the Chicago Bulls to six National Basketball Association (NBA) championships, Jordan made a tremendous contribution to basketball.
Later, he was honored in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 alongside other NBA legends like Jerry Sloan, John Stockton, and David Robinson. Actor Michael B. Jordan, on the other hand, rose to prominence after starring as the titular Adonis Creed in all the Creed movies.
In the Creed film series, Michael B. Jordan portrays Rocky’s opponent and his rise to power from an underdog to established and renowned boxing champion. The latest film chronicles Creed’s complex relationship with his childhood friend Damien “Dame” Anderson, with whom he must engage in a boxing match.
Sharing a celebrity’s name was certainly not easy for Jordan. He told Good Morning America that he was teased about it as a child and frequently compared with the basketball legend. He said,
“We had the same name and I always got teased about not being the real Michael Jordan. Honestly [it] gave me a competitive chip on my shoulder and made me wanted to compete at anything I did and create my own lane and have my own legacy.”
Growing up, he played sports and expressed his desire to meet Michael Jordan as a fan. They had met once before “in passing” but it wasn’t memorable for him as he hadn’t achieved the stature of a successful artist by then.
Now that the doubts about whether they are related or not are clear, the actor’s moniker is still a matter of curiosity. Fans are wondering if the renowned basketball player has been an inspiration in any way. Turns out that the Creed star wasn’t named after the NBA legend but after his father, Michael A. Jordan. The ‘B’ in his name stands for Bakari, which in Swahili means, “one with great promise.”
Despite not being related, Michael B. Jordan, not unlike the basketball player, is treading the path to attaining big success in his area of expertise.