Did Michael Jordan inspire Aaron Judge before MLB stardom? Yankees captain reveals story behind high school basketball jersey no.

New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge recently joined Jordan brand, helmed and created by NBA superstar Michael Jordan. The legendary basketball player briefly moved into the baseball world, but otherwise doesn't have a big connection. Nevertheless, Jordan is a huge sports brand for multiple leagues, including the MLB.

In high school, Aaron Judge was a three-sport athlete, playing basketball, football and baseball. It was said he could have gone pro in any of them, but he chose baseball, and that was probably wise.

He wore number 23 on the basketball court. That was Jordan's number, and it comes with great honor. There was a good reason for wearing that, as Jordan inspired him to don the iconic number on the court.

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How Michael Jordan inspired Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge revealed that his decision to wear 23 in high school came from Michael Jordan. He revealed in an interview that he was confident, and that he knew he needed to wear an iconic number if he was putting up points. His high school stats indicate that he was right to choose that.

Judge also wore Jordan shoes in high school. He was fortunate to be able to get the number for his high school career, and he made sure to honor those who allowed that.

Wearing number 23 on the basketball court always comes with eyes. It's the most iconic number perhaps in any sport, so anyone playing basketball in that jersey had better be good.

Judge was good. As a senior, he averaged almost 17 points per game. That is quite a lot for a high school player, since that would be a lot even for a collegiate player. He also averaged over 11 rebounds, so he was one of the most dominant big men in the game.

Aaron Judge was good at basketball

Based on that, he could have likely gone pro in the NBA. He was a good basketball player, but he's an even better baseball player.

Once again in 2023, Judge is leading the Yankees in most offensive categories. That's despite missing two months with injuries. He's also in the top five for American League home runs.