Jimmy Johnson’s annual fishing tournament ‘JJFishWeek’ has turned into a premium event with a $1 million prize purse, and Michael Jordan received $123,500 after his team came third

NBA icon Michael Jordan won $123,500 during a fishing tournament hosted by legendary NFL head coach and former FOX NFL Sunday star Jimmy Johnson.

Jordan may be remembered for his basketball legacy, where he won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and is considered one of the all-time greats. However, Jordan has focused his attention on other sports since retiring, co-founding a NASCAR team and perfecting his fishing craft.

In 2020, Jordan participated in the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament and hauled a 442-pound blue marlin onto ‘Catch 23,’ his 80-foot-long fishing boat. Johnson also hosts a major tournament with a huge prize purse on offer, and Jordan is now an annual

Johnson held his latest ‘JJFishWeek’ in March, announcing the tournament results on March 9 in a post on X. In doing so, he shared that Jordan’s ‘Catch 23’ crew had won $123,500 after finishing third in the angling competition.

The fishing event hosted by Johnson has gained momentum in recent years, with a $1 million prize purse and several sponsors, including Contender, Yamaha, and Vera. Johnson’s event was also hosted by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, and when describing his tournament in the past, he said: “It’s just like the Emmys.”

In an interview with The Fisherman in 2023, Johnson stated, “We did Atlantic City for the first time in 2021. It was brought with some skepticism to start, but now everyone wants to be involved. MJ (Michael Jordan) now fishes the tournament.”

Johnson has recently retired after rejecting new terms at FOX Sports ( 
Image:
AP)
Johnson has been a long-time fishing fanatic, and would read publications when flying from his home in South Florida to the FOX Sports studio in Los Angeles every week. “Flying back and forth to L.A. every week for FOX NFL Sunday, I have a lot of time to read, so I read every fishing magazine there is,” Johnson once revealed.

“I also went out on charter boats, not necessarily to fish, but to watch the captains and their mates and see how they fish. And then, just picking it up on my own … just trial and error.”

Johnson will now have more time to enjoy fishing after confirming his retirement from television on March 3. FOX Sports attempted to reduce Johnson’s workload and travel so they could retain his services for the 2025 NFL season, but the former football coach and analyst decided that it was time to retire.