The fame surrounding Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls back in their heyday often forced his teammates to take some odd routes to keep themselves safe and away from the prying attention.
Pseudonyms were a popular and useful way to remain incognito amid the Jordan hype. Will Perdue says he went by “Cosmo Kramer,” of the popular 90s sitcom Seinfeld, according to Ben Pickman of Sports Illustrated. The veteran big man remembers some of his teammates constantly changed their pseudonyms, forcing him at times to guess whose name belonged to whom.
Yet it was still worth the trouble, considering that if a room number was leaked, fans would hound the hotel for hours with calls seeking anyone connected to Jordan. Requests for interviews were plenty, even if a player didn't see that much time on the floor.
Perdue noted Jordan was “kind of his own guy,” and would often choose not to attend group gatherings, but even the team’s bench “couldn’t just go to the mall and to the food court.”
As soon as a member of the Bulls was spotted, hordes of fans would rush over for photos, autographs, and the occasional conversation.
“One or two autographs didn’t exist,” said Perdue. “You would suddenly look up and there’s 50 people standing there.”
“The entire restaurant would want to come over,” added Scott Williams, who played with the Bulls from 1990-94.
Using pseudonyms seemed to be the only saving grace for members of the Bulls, who hoped to at least find some sanctuary at their hotel room, away from the Michael Jordan-crazed fandom.
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