It could have hurt him; MJ, in the prime of his career, walks away from basketball to play minor league baseball. Mmmm.4/5 wrote:I wonder how things would be different with MJ if he came up during the twitter era.
At the time, dozens of rumors swirled (prolific wife sharing with pro golfers and a heavy gambling addiction come to mind). I've always believed that Jordan was nudged/forced to take a break from the NBA by Stern in return for something. Now imagine, billions of people armed with smartphones, able to catch Jordan in the act. I think he benefited from the lack of social media and intense coverage.
Jordan is still the best basketball player and athlete ever (probably will hold this honor for a very long time), but to suggest that no one will ever surpass him is akin to saying the world is flat.