Who knew Eric Church and Michael Jordan were pals this whole time? Apparently, their friendship tracks across years. Moreover, the reason they grow close is quite simple. They both come up living in North Carolina. Ever since that initial connection, they both go out of their ways to support their respective endeavors. MJ appears at Church's bar upon its opening. Eric would go to the NBA's Charlotte Hornets games while Jordan owned the team.
Clearly, their relationship stands strong in the test of time. Consequently, when MJ calls asking for a favor, it's second nature for the country crooner to pick up the phone. However, he wouldn't have guessed the sales pitch he'd receive.
Recently, Eric Church appears on an episode of the How Leaders Lead with David Novak podcast. There, he talks about his journey into becoming a part-owner of the Charlotte Hornets. Moreover, he reveals how the former owner and arguably the greatest basketball player ever gets Church on board.
Michael Jordan Calls Eric Church Asking for a Massive, Expensive Favor
Ultimately, Michael Jordan keeps it simple when he pitches Eric Church on the ownership proposition. The people in the ownership group at the time do not have ties to North Carolina. He finds it essential to preserve that connection with the city of Charlotte and the whole state. Eric says, "When MJ started trying to get out, he called and he was like, 'Hey, you know, a lot of this ownership group is not North Carolina based. They're not local, and I want to make sure we have a feel there.'"
Initially, an MJ call terrifies Church. "First of all, it's a frightening call when MJ calls you," he prefaces. "I'd never thought about a pro team, and frankly was terrified when he said, 'I want you to do this.' I was like, 'Oh shit,' you know? What does this mean? But after talking to MJ, and talking about - he's a North Carolina kid, we're both Tar Heels, and he talked about how important it was to have local ownership."
But after a while, Eric finds the courage and crunches the numbers to pull off the milestone feat. Now, the 'Hell of a View' singer gets the opportunity to sink his roots into the community. "I thought about it, and then I stretched a little bit from what I could do, I think we all do that sometimes financially," he explains. "But I thought, you know, I like this. I like that it's back to my touchstone, back to the cornerstone of what North Carolina means to me.
