Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd killed two birds with one stone on Friday afternoon by announcing a massive five-year contract extension to stay in Tucson and shutting down the internet’s favorite rumor regarding his flirtation with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Tommy Lloyd Claims Michael Jordan Call Never Happened
The basketball world spent the last week buzzing over a reported phone call between Lloyd and Michael Jordan. The rumor suggested the Tar Heels deployed their most famous basketball alumni to court the Arizona mastermind.
It made for a great story with the Wildcats preparing for a massive Final Four matchup against top-ranked Michigan at Lucas Oil Stadium, but there was just one problem. The call was a complete myth.
Lloyd took the podium in Indianapolis and addressed the North Carolina distraction head on. He praised the Tar Heels as a first-class organization and an amazing place, but he made sure to clear the air regarding the NBA legend.
More from Tommy Lloyd on staying at Arizona:
“The phone call with Michael Jordan never did happen, I’ll put that to rest. We all idolized MJ… With that being said though… my Michael Jordan is Steve Kerr. And I’m proud to be an Arizona Wildcat.” pic.twitter.com/GhOuylDU9E
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) April 3, 2026
“The phone call with Michael Jordan never did happen, I’ll put that to rest,” Lloyd told reporters. “We all idolized MJ… With that being said, though, my Michael Jordan is Steve Kerr. And I’m proud to be an Arizona Wildcat.”
The swift rejection serves as a bitter pill for North Carolina fans who hoped Lloyd would replace Hubert Davis. The Tar Heels reportedly prepared a lucrative offer that would have made Lloyd the second-highest-paid coach in college basketball. Instead, Lloyd leveraged the interest into a massive payday in Arizona, securing a reported annual salary of $7.2 million.
Lloyd and the Wildcats can now turn their full attention back to the court. Arizona is back in the Final Four for the first time since 2001. The Wildcats have their eyes set on capturing the program’s first national championship since 1997, but they have to get past a loaded Michigan squad on Saturday night to keep that dream alive.
MORE: College Basketball 2026 Transfer Portal Tracker
The Michigan Wolverines have been one of the top basketball teams in the country, boasting a 35-3 record. Yaxel Landeborg has been the player to watch, and the Wildcats would certainly have a plan in place to keep the youngster on lockdown.
The coaching carousel will continue spinning in Chapel Hill while North Carolina looks elsewhere for its next leader. Meanwhile, Arizona fans can rest easy knowing their head coach is locked in for the foreseeable future. The Wildcats kept their guy, and Lloyd proved that in Tucson, Steve Kerr holds just as much weight as Michael Jordan.
