Edson Arantes do Nascimento “Pele,” a genius on the court with countless stories to tell, was not perfect and made mistakes. One that is well remembered and made “O’Rei” laugh was when he confused the singer Michael Jackson with the NBA’s top basketball player, Michael Jordan.
Why did Pele think Michael Jackson was the same as Michael Jordan?
Pele attended a summit in Copenhagen in September 2009 as Brazil‘s representative for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, which was vying with Chicago to host the athletic event. He was requested since Chicago superstar Jordan was supposed to attend because “The Windy City” was competing.
Pele reacted to a press inquiry with, “I don’t know if your question is about Michael Jackson (sic) or about another athlete,” not understanding he had misidentified one of the best NBA players ever.
The former soccer player instantly corrected Pele, saying Michael Jordan. He himself joined in on the laughter of those in attendance at the conference, who will never forget this incident, after recognizing his error.
Brazilian legend passed away on Thursday.
Pele passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 after spending a month in the hospital in Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital, where he was always surrounded by his family. His career began with Santos, where he spent the majority of his time playing, and he later came out of retirement to represent the New York Cosmos in the United States.
In addition to winning the Campeonato Paulista 10 times, the Brazilian A Series six times with Santos, two Copa Libertadores, and two Intercontinental Cups, he is the only player to have triumphed in three World Cups, in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
