The Fast Food Breakfast That Fueled Michael Jordan Day After Day

What did an athlete like Michael Jordan eat to be at peak performance? In a 1996 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Jordan's personal trainer, Tim Grover, provided an answer. According to Grover, breakfast for the Chicago Bulls legend would consist of oatmeal with mixed fruits, scrambled egg whites, and a glass of orange juice — basically, the sort of breakfast you'd expect from an elite athlete. Jordan's own teammates, however, shared on separate occasions that his go-to morning meal was something much more fast food-oriented.

According to a social media post by the Chicago sports network CHSN, broadcaster Stacey King (who played with Jordan on the Bulls from 1989 to 1993) said MJ's breakfast of choice was a Sausage McMuffin from McDonald's. King shared this little bit of trivia on-air in the middle of a Bulls game in January 2022. A couple of weeks later, Charles Oakley (Jordan's teammate on the Bulls from 1985 to 1988, and again on the Washington Wizards in the 2002-2003 season) appeared to corroborate the claim when he appeared on the "All the Smoke" podcast.

"We ate a lot of McDonald's back then," Oakley said. "MJ ate McDonald's every morning for breakfast. ... [H]e'd eat steak before every game." It seems that despite being celebrated on one of Wheaties boxes, His Airness would've preferred a fast food breakfast sandwich over a bowl of cold cereal.

Michael Jordan and McDonald's have a ton of history beyond the former's breakfast habits. At the height of his popularity, the basketball star was a major endorser for the fast food brand. He starred in a number of ads for McDonald's. These included one where he actually promoted the chain's breakfast menu, chowing down on a Big Breakfast and Egg McMuffin. His instantly iconic showdown with Larry Bird over a Big Mac was one of the best Super Bowl commercials of all time.

Outside of the ads (and a special McDonald's employee training video), the NBA Hall of Famer collaborated with the chain on a signature sandwich. Served only in a handful of states, the McJordan Special was a Quarter Pounder topped with bacon, onions, pickles, barbecue sauce, cheese, and mustard. You can actually still make the discontinued McJordan burger with a little bit of customization at your nearest McDonald's location, so it isn't gone forever.

Despite some moderate success, Michael Jordan's foray into the McDonald's menu didn't really last too long. After popping up for a few months in 1991, the burger made a limited-time comeback in 1993. The iconic McMuffin, on the other hand, has stuck around since 1971 and is widely recognized as the best fast food breakfast sandwich out there. It makes sense, then, the GOAT in basketball would always have McDonald's GOAT breakfast every morning.