MJ and his Catch 23 fishing boat – an 80-foot Viking that pays homage to his basketball jersey number – won the team’s first sailfish tournament victory by winning the 58th The Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Release Tournament in Palm Beach, Florida.
Catch 23, led by Capt. Stetson Turney, caught and released seven sailfish — including two reeled in by Jordan himself. That gave Catch 23 the trophy with 1,400 points, ahead of second-place De-Bait-Able with 1,200.
During the past two summers, Jordan fished aboard his boat in several marlin fishing tournaments in North Carolina and nearby mid-Atlantic states. In December 2019 and again in 2020, Jordan entered Catch 23 in the Stuart Sailfish Club’s Light Tackle Sailfish Tournament, placing third in 2019.
But that wouldn’t be good enough for Jordan, who was chronicled for his hunger for winning most recently in last summer’s documentary, “The Last Dance.” In that documentary, Jordan was seen playing quarter games with Chicago Bulls employees.
The tournament awards 200 points for each sailfish caught using live bait and 300 for each dead-bait catch. Catch 23 used only live bait. A fleet of 38 boats fished the event, tallying 63 sailfish caught in two days’ fishing.
The Bulls legend has resorted to a variety of mildly competitive activities since retirement. MJ was already an avid golfer, often spending his days on the greens and his nights on the basketball court. He’s opened a golf course named Slaughterhouse 23 in Florida, built to his strengths.
Jordan also bought a NASCAR team recently, becoming the first African-American to own one. His outfit competes with an appropriate moniker – 23XI. Michael Jordan roped in NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin to be the co-owner of the team.
Fishing is a work of patience and tediousness, and often leaves you crestfallen with nothing to show for your efforts. But in a competitive setting, it is exactly the kind of adrenaline rush that MJ probably still craves.
Michael Jordan wins his first sailfish tournament with Catch 23
The Buccaneer tournament awards 200 points for each sailfish caught using live bait and 300 for each dead-bait catch. A fleet of 38 boats fished the event, tallying 63 sailfish caught in two days’ fishing.
Catch 23 is a Viking style 80 foot sailboat. Led by Capt. Stetson Turney, they caught and released seven sailfish in the tournament. Jordan himself caught 2 of them. Catch 23 used only live bait. That gave Catch 23 the trophy with 1,400 points, ahead of second-place De-Bait-Able with 1,200.
Over the past 2 years or so, MJ has participated in a number of marlin fishing tournaments around North Carolina. One of the notable tournament entries for Catch 23 was in December 2019, at the Light Tackle Sailfish Tournament. In this event organized by Stuart Sailfish Club, Catch 23 finished a credible third.
WHO IS MICHAEL JORDAN
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. He is the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and of 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. He played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. His biography on the official NBA website states: “By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.” He was integral in helping to popularize the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a global cultural icon in the process.
Jordan played college basketball for three seasons under coach Dean Smith with the North Carolina Tar Heels. As a freshman, he was a member of the Tar Heels’ national championship team in 1982. Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick, and quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring while gaining a reputation as one of the game’s best defensive players. His leaping ability, demonstrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in Slam Dunk Contests, earned him the nicknames “Air Jordan” and “His Airness”. Jordan won his first NBA championship with the Bulls in 1991, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a “three-peat“. Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the 1993–94 NBA season to play Minor League Baseball, but returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and led them to three more championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998, as well as a then-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. He retired for a second time in January 1999 but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards.
Jordan’s individual accolades and accomplishments include six NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, ten scoring titles (both all-time records), five MVP Awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVP Awards, three steals titles, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA records for career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the 20th century’s greatest North American athlete by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press‘ list of athletes of the century. Jordan was twice inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, once in 2009 for his individual career and again in 2010 as part of the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team (“The Dream Team”). He became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.
One of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation, Jordan is also known for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike‘s Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1984 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred as himself in the 1996 film Space Jam and in the Emmy Award-winning miniseries The Last Dance (2020). He became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats (now named the Hornets) in 2006, and bought a controlling interest in 2010. In 2014, Jordan became the first billionaire player in NBA history. With a net worth of $2.1 billion, he is the fourth-richest African American, behind Robert F. Smith, David Steward, and Oprah Winfrey.
