Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and holidays in Italy – Corriere.it

Reunited with their respective wives and the actor Samuel L.Jackson in the magic of Capri,
Michael Jordan and Earvin “Magic” Johnson they could not resist the temptation to make a special dedication to Italy. So in the middle of the evening, in one of the trendiest clubs on the island, the collective cantata began – involving the restaurant staff – by «In the blue painted blue»one of Domenico Modugno’s iconic songs. It is further confirmation of the link between the two former NBA aces and Italy.

Between the two, the decidedly more reserved one – and difficult to approach, indeed, practically unapproachable – is MJ. Go around with an adequate escort, able to repel the curious and fans eager for an autograph or a selfie: the chances of dealing with him are minimal, tending to zero. But some did well. One summer before the world stopped due to the health emergency, «His Airness» showed up in the evening in a restaurant on the Amalfi Coast: the owner managed to snatch a photo of him together. We remember that his first Italian visit dates back to the summer of 1985, when he was clearly predestined for basketball (in 1982 he had won the NCAA title with North Carolina, in 1984 the Olympic title in Los Angeles) but not yet the legendary Jordan. He played the famous Trieste friendly with the Stefanel shirt against Juve Caserta, for which he should have played one of the two times, only to then choose to remain in the ranks of the Julian team. He dispensed feats for a total of 41 points and a terrifying “Tomahawk” dunk that shattered the crystal of a scoreboard and seriously injured not him but Pietro Generali from Caserta.

Having said that in Milan at the beginning of 2023 it was inaugurated (with a kilometric queue made up of hundreds of people) the first store in the world dedicated by Nike entirely to its champion (it’s the Jordan World of Flight)last summer the apparition, not Marian but Jordanian, took place in via Anfossi in Milan.
MJ is a well-known cigar smoker and, passing through the Lombard capital, went shopping, to the delight of the owner, at the famous Casa del Habano.

For the record, before the trip to Capri, Michael had gone to Catania landing with his personal twin-jet (whose livery, on the tail, shows the well-known gesture of the crush with a leap with legs apart). What was he doing in Sicily? She participated in the Google Camp organized in Sciacca. Everything was organized in a very ultra-reserved way, with highly armored treatment for the basketball star: after being personally welcomed by the director of the company that manages the Catania airport, Jordan was first given a sterile area and then private cars to reach the Verdura Golf Resort for the top-secret event that every year brings together businessmen, VIPs, managers, assorted celebrities (among past appearances those of Prince Harry, Elton John, Rania of Jordan, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Charlize Theron, George Clooney).

If we want, Magic Johnson’s Italian visits are more «easy» and down to earth. To begin with, in 2016 he chose Venice to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his wedding with his wife Cookie. He also visited Murano and Burano and was impressed by the ancient arts of local craftsmen. After attending the Historical Regatta and at the end some rowers sang Turandot’s «Nessun dorma» for him. Last July 9th he posted a snap on Instagram on the yacht ready to set sail for Portofino, «the place most loved by me and Cookie». There was no shortage of selfies with fans, proving a different approach from Jordan’s. Magic’s passion for our country is long-standing and he recalled it just a year ago when his tour, in addition to classic and recurring destinations such as Porto Cervo, Capri and the aforementioned Portofino, also touched Cefalù and other places of Sicily. «I have been coming to Italy for over 30 years – he said – and one of the great reasons is because here I eat the best pizza and pasta in the world». When you travel with us, you use the mega yacht Aquila: rental price in 2022, $945,000 per week.