The NBA, due to the more global nature of basketball, has always been more popular worldwide than the NFL. Understandably, stars like LeBron and Kobe have set the standards in the last two decades when it comes to mass popularity across the oceans. However, none of that compared to what Michael Jordan achieved. Luckily, the NFL isn’t far behind. Due to the growing popularity of the league’s international fixtures, a new global superstar is on the verge of emergence. Well, it’s none other than reigning champ Patrick Mahomes.

And this Jordan-Mahomes comparison is not some hypothetical conjecture from NFL analysts. It’s coming directly from Clark Hunt, the CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs. So what makes Hunt’s opinion stand out? Well, the Hunt family has a unique connection, going back decades, linking the famed Chicago Bulls dynasty to Pat Mahomes’ KC Chiefs.

Clark Hunt puts the Patrick Mahomes and MJ comparisons on the table

Yes, Michael Jordan won 6 NBA championships while Patrick Mahomes has only secured his second Lombardi. However, when it comes to international popularity, the 27-year-old canon-arms quarterback isn’t lagging far behind. During an appearance on Good Morning Football, Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt said that this year’s international fixture in Germany against the Miami Dolphins is a highly anticipated matchup, especially because of the growing popularity of his QB1 Pat Mahomes. What makes it even more special is that this is the first time Hunt is witnessing this level of international fame in the NFL.

“I think it’s gonna be incredible because he’s become an international star. Doesn’t frequently happen with NFL players. We’ve seen it in other sports. Our family being involved with the Chicago Bulls of the NBA, we saw that with Michael Jordan. Patrick has really become a global star. So it will be very interesting to see the reception that he gets when we go to Germany,” Hunt said.

Clark’s father Lamar Hunt, who bought the Chiefs for $25,000 in 1960, made another smart investment six years later.

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Thanks to his wife, Norma Hunt, the Chiefs owner also ended up buying an 11.11% minority stake in the Chicago Bulls expansion franchise in 1966. Safe to say that the bet paid off quite handsomely.

Hunt isn’t the only NFL authority to compare Mahomes and Michael Jordan

This year, Patrick Mahomes displayed otherworldly heroics as he battled through a high ankle sprain in the playoffs, ultimately leading his team to Super Bowl LVII victory. This reminded 7x Super Bowl champion Tom Brady of Michael Jordan’s infamous ‘flu’ game.

“He’s [Patrick] a tough guy. That’s what champions are made of,” Brady said on an episode of the Let’s Go podcast. “It’s not ‘how do I feel great all the time’. Everyone talks about Michael Jordan when he was sick. That’s what we respect about sports. Not that we are trying to put our lives on the line. But you wanna inspire people to dig deep within themselves.”