Tom Brady. Michael Jordan. Both are arguably GOATs in their sport. Of course, some opinions would argue otherwise, but that’s what makes sports so great.
What can’t be argued is that both are multi-time champions. Brady’s sitting pretty with seven Super Bowl rings. Jordan has six NBA Finals rings on his fingers. Jordan’s been retired for what feels like forever (2003). Meanwhile, Brady is still getting used to the post-retirement life; he’s only been out of the game for three seasons.
The way these two have gone about their lives since retiring from their respective sports is very different. Now one sports voice is comparing the two.
Is Tom Brady Making a Fool of Himself?
It’s hard to criticize Brady or Jordan. Sure, each has unique quirks and/or questionable moments over the years, but their greatness is undeniable. Their Hall of Fame résumés can’t be ignored.
So, what do these two sports icons have to do with one another? Recently, sports personality Jason Whitlock compared the two by saying Brady and Jordan have taken opposite approaches since retiring. He even went so far as to say that the 48-year-old Brady is “making a fool of himself.”
“Michael Jordan understood something Tom Brady doesn’t,” Whitlock said. “Absence creates myth. After basketball, MJ didn’t chase relevance; he withheld it. The Air Jordan brand does six billion dollars a year. Jordan barely speaks publicly. When he does, it’s an event.
“NBC paid Jordan what 60-70 million dollars for one interview. One really boring, bad interview. The lesson? Jordan monetized his greatness by protecting it. He built an ecosystem that works while he stays silent. Scarcity is the strategy. Jordan doesn’t need the camera; the camera needs Michael. That’s power.”
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Meanwhile, Whitlock went on to argue that Brady is heading in the opposite direction as Jordan by making himself available to anyone who wants him, and he thinks that’s a big mistake.
Tom Brady, the NFL’s G.O.A.T., has taken the opposite post-retirement approach to the NBA’s G.O.A.T., Michael Jordan, and he is making a fool of himself in the process. pic.twitter.com/DiVFABaYP4
— Jason Whitlock (@jasonwhitlock) July 20, 2026
“Brady is doing the opposite,” Whitlock argued. “He’s everywhere. The Fox booth, widely paid. The functional beverage hocking, the crypto entanglement. The roast.
“And now bits with influencers half his age. There’s nothing wrong with a man making money. The question is what is he trading for it? It’s all just incredibly weird.”
Clearly, Jordan and Brady have different personalities. Aaron Rodgers has mentioned on several occasions that once he’s done with his Hall of Fame career, he intends to disappear and be heard from rarely, if ever, again. But that hasn’t been Brady’s approach, and Whitlock clearly isn’t a fan.
