Michael Jordan and Tom Brady labeled ‘vanilla’ as 3x NBA All-Star makes feelings known on latest accusations vs NFL legend

Michael Jordan and Tom Brady are widely regarded as among the greatest athletes in their respective sports, but a former NBA All-Star criticized them for how they present themselves off the court. Brady has recently faced scrutiny over a perceived conflict of interest as both a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and lead NFL analyst for Fox Sports.

On Thursday’s episode of “The Arena,” three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas spoke with Skip Bayless, Aqib Talib, Gerald McCoy and Richie Incognito about Brady’s conflict and called both Brady and Jordan “vanilla.”

“When you’re talking about being an elite expert at what you do, which is quarterback, (Tom Brady) don’t have the same personality as a Cam Newton. He’s vanilla. He has been trained to protect his image,” Arenas said (51:15 mark).

The NFL limits Brady’s activities: he is prohibited from attending team practices, visiting team facilities or production meetings in person, and publicly criticizing officials or other teams.

Later in the podcast, Arenas also labeled Jordan as vanilla.

“Have you listened to Jordan interviews? Vanilla!" Arenas said (52:53 mark). "Because the person you know off — when the camera is on, that person doesn’t show up.”

Bayless defended Michael Jordan, noting that he called out Dennis Rodman during the 1998 championship run and held teammates accountable, but agreed that during Brady’s Patriots years, it was usually Bill Belichick handling that role.

After his playing years, Jordan moved into ownership, becoming part-owner and head of basketball operations for the Charlotte Hornets (then Bobcats) in 2006, acquiring a controlling stake in 2010. The franchise saw limited success under his leadership, and he sold his majority interest in 2023.

Tom Brady recounts Michael Jordan story

Despite being considered the greatest in their sports, Michael Jordan and Tom Brady did not play in the same era. Jordan was already legendary while Brady was still active.

In an interview with Complex in May, Brady recounted how Jordan helped him before he landed his own shoe deal.

"When I didn't have a shoe contract, I called up my friend, Kenny Weyand [the president of Jordan's golf club in Florida]," Brady said (per Bleacher Report). "I'm like, 'Kenny, dude, I need a hook-up.' How can I add some Jordans to my collection? And he goes, 'well, what size are you?' And I said, 'size 13.'

"So, he calls me like two hours later and goes, 'hey, I'm on the course with MJ. And he's size 13, too. He's going to send you a few pairs.' Within two days, I had 120 pairs of shoes show up. I didn't have enough closet space. ... It's pretty cool to have Jordans from Jordan sitting in my closet."

Michael Jordan won six NBA championships, six Finals MVPs, 10 scoring titles and five league MVPs. Brady, meanwhile, earned seven Super Bowl titles, five Super Bowl MVPs and three league MVPs.