Michael Jordan made an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in 1989. The basketball icon made a surprising joke about his birth parents.
David Letterman is popularly known for being the host of Late Night with David Letterman since the 80s and Late Show with David Letterman from the 90s till 2015. The comedian had an incredible knack for dealing with high-profile celebrities with such ease and candor that was loved by audiences.

Michael Jordan in the hit documentary The Last Dance | Netflix
He has inspired other talk show hosts that came after him and his vivacious personality continues to enthrall fans to this day. Letterman interviewed basketball legend Michael Jordan in his talk show where they talked about his towering height. Jordan made a rather shocking joke about his birth parents that left the talk show host in disbelief.

David Letterman Was Left Astonished At Michael Jordan’s Unsettling Joke About His Birth Parents
David Letterman hosted Late Night with David Letterman from 1982 to 1993 | NBC

Michael Jordan has been a cultural icon and has been celebrated as arguably the greatest basketball player ever. He had an incredible run, playing for 15 seasons in the NBA and winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan made an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in 1989 where they talked about his career and family.
Known for his tremendous athleticism, the basketball legend stood at 6 feet 6 inches and surprisingly none of his parents were 6 feet tall. Out of curiosity, Letterman asked Jordan whether he was the tallest in the family. The basketball star had an interesting answer that was followed by a rather lurid joke that left everyone in splits.

Jordan stated that he was the tallest in the family with all of his family being under 6 feet tall. After a brief pause, the celebrated icon pointed out that the milkman was 6 feet and 7 inches, hilariously implying that he may be his real father. He said (via YouTube),

I’m the tallest. My father’s about 5’10”, my mother’s about 5’5″, everyone else is about 5’6″ and a half-5’7. The milkman is about 6’7.

The basketball star, Letterman, and the audience erupted in laughter at Jordan’s joke. He later indicated that his father was backstage and apologized for making such an unnerving joke on national television. Nevertheless, everyone understood the sarcasm in it and had a hearty laugh about it.

David Letterman Was Surprised And Stunned By The Changes Made At The Late Show
David Letterman on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | CBS
David Letterman retired as the host of Late Show with David Letterman in 2015. Since then, he had not stepped foot in the Ed Sullivan Theatre. Stephen Colbert now hosts the late-night talk show and the celebrated host made his monumental return to the venue in late 2023 where he was surprised by the innovations that had been made to the place.

In his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Letterman expressed his astonishment at how the dressing room on the show is way better than any hotel that had ever stayed in. He praised how the venue looks like a mall and declared that this is now the future of television. The comedian said,

It is a delight to be back and let me just share with a couple of observations I’ve had since I’ve been in this facility. It is like a mall. It is unbelievable. It is like Rodeo Drive. Ladies and gentlemen, this is television of the future. The dressing room is better than any hotel I’ve ever stayed at in my life. I’ll be here through Christmas. They have snacks in the dressing room and a menu.

Letterman recently returned for a fifth season of his hit Netflix special My Next Guest Needs No Introduction which consisted of two episodes. He interviewed pop star Miley Cyrus and famed basketball star Charles Barkley. John Mulaney was also interviewed in a special episode separate from previous seasons.