Michael Jordan comparisons are nothing new, so it was no surprise when Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Scott Tolzien compared starter Aaron Rodgers to His Airness.
"It's like watching Jordan in his prime," Tolzien said this week. "He's at the top of his game. He makes it all go."
Rodgers denied being worthy of the comparison, but it's really not too far-fetched to call the quarterback Jordan-esque. Rodgers is arguably the best player in the NFL right now, while Jordan is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time.
However, there have been plenty of Jordan analogies that have left us either chuckling or shaking our heads. Here are five of the most cringe-worthy times somebody was hailed as "the next Jordan" or "the Michael Jordan of (insert discipline here)."
Harold Miner
When you enter the NBA with the nickname "Baby Jordan," odds are pretty good that you'll fall short of expectations. Miner certainly looked the part while becoming the University of Southern California's all-time leading scorer, with his shaved head, No. 23 jersey and spectacular dunking ability. But he was never more than a role player after getting drafted in the first round by the Miami Heat in 1992. Although he did join Jordan as a Nike endorser, Miner's only memorable NBA moments were victories in the 1993 and '95 slam dunk contests. Knee problems plagued his NBA career, which lasted just four seasons.
Michal Jordan
Due to spelling, not talent, NHL rookie Michal Jordan reluctantly was presented as the Michael Jordan of the NHL last season. When the Carolina Hurricanes defenseman's paltry statistics were matched up against those of the Chicago Bulls legend in a TV graphic, you could tell by his reaction on Twitter that it wasn't the first time he'd heard that joke.
Here we go again...story of my life!🙈 thanks a lot @PredsNHL thanks a lot
— Michal Jordan (@TheBigCzech23) Dec. 3, 2014Jeffrey and Marcus Jordan
These two actually are the next Jordans, but they couldn't fill their father's shoes on the basketball court. The heirs of His Airness played college basketball but inherited only a fraction of their dad's playing ability. For starters, 6-foot-1 Jeff and 6-foot-3 Marcus literally could not measure up to their 6-foot-6 father. Jeff, the elder sibling, walked on at Illinois before transferring to Central Florida, where Marcus was playing. Jeff scored just 1.6 points per game for his college career, while Marcus averaged a respectable 12.3 points.
Michael Jordan, baseball player
How can you compare baseball's Michael Jordan to basketball's Michael Jordan? Well, they are the same person. Coming off his third consecutive NBA championship, Jordan threw everybody a curve when he retired from the Bulls in 1993 to chase his diamond dreams. Unfortunately for him (and fortunately for basketball fans), he couldn't hit the curve. At age 30, the world's greatest basketball player signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox. He played outfield for the Double-A Birmingham Barons in his year away from basketball and hit only .202 with three home runs. His long stride served him well when he did reach base, as he racked up 30 steals, but his large strike zone contributed to 114 strikeouts in 127 games. He rejoined the Bulls in March 1995, and the team returned to three-peat form the following season.
Kanye West and Jay Z
Rappers name drop Jordan all the time, and these two superstars of their game have made multiple lyrical references to the biggest superstar of his game, sometimes in self-referential fashion. Kanye went so far as to call himself "the Michael Jordan of music" in a New York Times interview.
On the Lil Wayne track "U Ain't Neva Gotta Ask," West raps:
Kanye's just important as Michael Jordan was to the NBA when he was scorin'
Here's a sampling of Jay Z's Jordan boasts:
Mike Jordan of rap -- outside J workin'/Now watch how quickly I drop 50 -- "Hova Song (Intro)"
It's not even close, just leave it alone/I'm Michael Jordan, I play for the team I own -- "The Best of Both Worlds"
I am the Mike Jordan of recording ... you might want to fall back from recording -- "Show Me What You Got"