So earlier today I’m scrolling through Twitter like always, coffee in hand, when suddenly I see “RIP Michael Jordan” trending. My heart straight up dropped – MJ? Gone? Nah, can’t be. Felt like somebody kicked me in the gut. Grabbed my laptop real quick, fingers shaking as I typed his name into Google.
The Freaking Panic Search
First page was all “Michael Jordan death rumors” garbage. Clickbait headlines screaming “LEGEND PASSES AWAY” from these trashy sites I never heard of. Refused to believe it though. Pulled up his official Instagram – last post showing him smiling at some golf thing three days back. Nothing on Twitter either. Then I hammered ESPN and * like my life depended on it. Crickets. Zero official news. That’s when I went “hold up… this smells fishy.”
Digging Into The Dirt
Started clicking those rumor articles just to see their sources. Every single one pointed to this sketchy Facebook page called “Sports News Alert” with a blue checkmark (probably fake). Their “scoop”? Some unnamed “family friend” claimed MJ had a heart attack overnight. No hospital names, no quotes, nothing. Even their comment section was full of “proof??” “fake news!” chaos.
Did three things next:
- Texted my buddy who works with the Hornets merch team – dude replied “💀? Bro he just approved new jersey designs yesterday”
- Checked Jordan Brand’s website – still selling $200 sneakers like nothing happened
- Scrolled the Bulls’ official feed – memorial posts? Nada. Just playoff anniversary stuff
The Messy Truth About Rumors
Took me under an hour to confirm it was complete BS. But here’s why this garbage spreads:
- Bots go wild – soon as one site posts fake RIPs, hundreds of AI accounts spam that crap everywhere
- People panic-share – folks see “RIP MJ” and retweet without clicking, thinking they’re “spreading awareness”
- Trash sites profit – every sad click on those fake articles means ad money for scumbags
Seriously though? The timing’s freaking suspicious. Space Jam 2 memes popping off everywhere, Last Dance doc resurfacing… engagement bait at its nastiest. Makes me wanna scream into a pillow whenever celebs get “death hoaxed”. Stay skeptical out there people – always chase the real sources before sharing that tearful bullshit misinformation.
