Michael Jordan Says Being a Role Model 'Like a Game That's Stacked Against Me'

Sunday's episodes of The Last Dance made it clear fame took a toll on Michael Jordan.  

While he was the face of brands such as Nike, Gatorade and many more, he was also constantly followed by press, fans and expectations everywhere he went.

He opened up about it some during Sunday's installments of the ESPN and Netflix documentary, saying (h/t The Undefeated), "If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would never want to be considered a role model. It's like a game that's stacked against me."

Jordan's status as a role model was explored through different lenses in Sunday's episodes.

On one hand, there was the global icon who was in some of the most famous commercials in basketball history. Anyone watching basketball in the 1990s knew the "Be Like Mike" jingle from the Gatorade commercials, and the Air Jordan logo is about as iconic as it gets when it comes to sports apparel.

He was also a six-time champion on the court, the second and third of which were featured during Sunday's broadcast.

Jordan built this image on the court and through the endorsements, but The Last Dance also pulled back the curtain on some of the controversies. There was the gambling, including his infamous trip to Atlantic City prior to a loss to the New York Knicks in Game 2 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals.

That led to a media storm so prevalent that Jordan stopped addressing the press altogether during the series. 

There was also his refusal to endorse Democratic nominee Harvey Gantt in the 1990 United States Senate election in North Carolina against Republican incumbent Jesse Helms. His quote "Republicans buy sneakers too" was attributed to that decision, and President Barack Obama even expressed some disappointment in Sunday's episodes, even though he understood Jordan was building his brand as a basketball player.

Even in terms of basketball, Sam Smith's book, The Jordan Rules, provided an inside look at how grating Jordan could be on his teammates.

While Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all time in many circles, the fame and his status as a role model clearly impacted him both on and off the court at times.