Former Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan insisted that playing golf is “what keeps me sane” after walking away from basketball.

NBA legend Michael Jordan surprisingly named golf as the “hardest” sport to play in the world ahead of basketball.

The 58-year-old American superstar enjoyed a prolific playing career in basketball and lifted 6 NBA championship titles during the 1990s.

Jordan also endured an ill-fated spell in the Minor League Baseball after his initial basketball retirement in 1993, with the tragic murder of his father three months earlier playing a part in the decision.

Despite success in basketball and disappointment in baseball, neither sport was considered the toughest to play for MJ.

Speaking to Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Jordan revealed that he became interested in golf due to the well-known competitive nature he has inside of him.

“I kind of got into golf mainly because from a competitive standpoint to me, it is the hardest game to play,” he said.

“I can always respond to an opponent, defensive guy, offensive guy whatever but in golf, it’s like playing in a mirror.

“You’re battling yourself consistently to try to get perfection. Every swing. Every putt.

“For a competitive person like me, this is what keeps me sane because when I walk away from the game of basketball, that was enough to keep my competitive juices working.

“Now, when I don’t have that game, this game and it even drives me crazy then. I go fishing in between my golf because I got to show patience in fishing that’s going to be related to golf.”

Jordan, who officially retired from basketball in 2003, is an avid golfer and even played golf in celebrity charity tournaments.

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One of MJ’s former golfing partners, Richard Esquinas, even claimed in the 1993 book ‘Michael & Me: Our Gambling Addiction… My Cry for Help’ that the former Chicago Bulls superstar owed him a whopping $1.25m from golf bets.

Five-time PGA Tour winner Rickie Fowler admitted that he found it “beneficial” to play golf with Jordan, who can “putt anyone straight up.”

He told The Ringer’s Slow News Day: “I’m lucky enough to call him a friend, and we play a decent amount; I’ll probably try and play with him here a couple [of] times in the next week-and-a-half before I go out to the tournament.

“I think it’s very beneficial for me. One, you’re playing against MJ, one of the most clutch guys there is. He’s good, especially when you get him around the greens and putting. He’ll putt anyone straight up.”