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Tom Brady, the legendary quarterback with seven Super Bowl rings, offered a nostalgic glimpse into his childhood during a recent interview with Bleacher Report, published on June 6. Now retired and widely considered one of the greatest athletes of all time, Brady shared who makes up his personal "Mount Rushmore" of sports legends-and his first pick came as no surprise: Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan.
"Michael Jordan," Brady said without hesitation. "He was my childhood idol, he was incredible." For Brady, who grew up in San Mateo, California, during the '80s and '90s, Jordan represented the gold standard of greatness, dominating the NBA and capturing the imagination of sports fans in that era.
But what stirred the most buzz was LeBron James's absence from his list. While a traditional Mount Rushmore includes just four names, Brady expanded his to include figures from various sports: Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Shohei Ohtani, Barry Bonds, Michael Phelps, Michael Johnson, A'ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese.
The inclusion of Clark and Reese-rising WNBA stars who've revolutionized women's basketball in of attention and viewership-surprised many, while LeBron's omission sparked heated debate on social media.
Fans react to Brady's Mount Rushmore: "That list crumbled at the end"
Fans didn't hold back. "He doesn't know what a Mount Rushmore is lol," one wrote on X. Another said, "Tom Brady putting Caitlin and Angel on his Mount Rushmore but not LeBron is the most dad thing I've ever seen." A third chimed in: "Tom Brady picked Jordan over LeBron and put Caitlin Clark on his Mount Rushmore... and y'all still call him a system QB?" Someone else joked: "That Mount Rushmore really crumbled at the end lol." The reactions showed that Brady remains a polarizing figure-even off the field.
Brady, who retired in 2023 and now works as a commentator for Fox Sports, used his list to highlight athletes who've left an indelible mark-from legends like Jordan and Bryant to emerging stars like Clark and Reese. His choice of Jordan as his childhood idol not only underscores the Bulls icon's impact on his life, but also how childhood heroes can shape our dreams. For Brady, Jordan was the spark that inspired him to chase greatness-a journey that ultimately led him to become the GOAT of football.