One photo rejection changed everything for rapper Symba, who grew up the biggest Michael Jordan fan.
When he met his hero around 2000 at an event, likely All-Star Weekend or something in the Bay Area, Jordan turned him down for a picture. That unlucky moment still haunts him at night.
Years later, Symba met LeBron James, and he recently sent thanks to the Lakers king for making his day in that heartfelt meeting.
Rapper Symba Says Michael Jordan Shut Him Down but LeBron James Made Him Feel Like Family
Symba recalled the Jordan encounter with vivid detail. He was just a kid at the time, hyped beyond belief to meet the GOAT.
“Bro, I remember when I was a kid, I think it was All-Star weekend 2000 or something like that. Or was it some event in the Bay Area? Michael Jordan was there, and I was excited as sh*t to see Michael Jordan,” Symba told White Noise Podcast. “I was the biggest Michael Jordan fan. He, like, turned me down for a picture, and it just like stained my brain over the years.”
Twenty-plus years later, Symba still recalls exactly how it felt when Jordan dismissed him like he was nobody. It became a permanent black mark on how he viewed his childhood idol.
Then came James’ moment. Everything changed for the rapper when he met the Lakers star for the very first time. James was in his prime, probably mobbed constantly by fans per the rapper, but he made time and treated Symba like he was really somebody, unlike the NBA GOAT.
“And it was like the first time I met LeBron James, he was just like, ‘Yeah, come on.’ You know, or prime it was like, ‘What’s up, man?'” Symba explained. “And those things always stick in your mind. So, I try to be that for people who look at me the same way, and I learned that from a LeBron in his Prime. So I truly appreciate that.”
Now that he’s got fans of his own, he models James’ supremacy — not Jordan. He always makes sure to give time to his fans and respect them as well. Because he knows what it felt like to be dismissed by someone he idolized.
For the unversed, Symba’s made his LeBron fandom loud and clear in recent time across multiple platforms. He’s called himself “president of the LeBron James fan club.”
When Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson asked why he reps LeBron so hard despite being from the Bay Area, Stephen Curry’s territory, Symba didn’t hesitate to say that James changed his life and purpose.
Jordan today is known more as a business force than a public figure. When it comes to deals, money, and branding, he operates on a different level.
His recent decision to take $80 million from NBC for a single interview and skip further appearances shows that the same ruthlessness he had on the court still applies off it. Symba’s story is just a small example of that mindset.
