Jordan wasn't allowed into Wade's draft party without paying

Talk about a tough crowd in Chicago.

Michael Jordan couldn't get into Dwyane Wade's 2003 draft-night party in the Windy City without paying, Wade relayed to The Athletic's Joe Vardon.

"I'm inside the draft party, and it was poppin'. I remember my cousin came and got me, and he was like, 'Yo, Jordan's here. They won't let him in,'" Wade said. "I'm like, 'What, man? Stop playing with me.' So we run out the door, run up front where they won't let him in. 'Why y'all won't let Jordan in?' Somebody was like, 'He wouldn't pay.' I'm like, 'What?'"

In 2003, Jordan was still one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet, and just five years removed from leading the Chicago Bulls to the last of their six NBA titles. Wade, a Chicago native, had just been drafted by the Miami Heat.

"So, I run outside and Michael Jordan is out there on a motorcycle, surrounded by like 30 dudes," Wade continued. "I run up to him. I'm in awe, of course, a young kid. And he said, 'I just wanted to come by and show you some love.' I think he said something about them trippin' at the front, or something like that. But he's like, 'I just wanted to come by and show you some love. Congratulations on getting drafted.' And I was just like, 'Man, thank you for coming.' I couldn't believe it. 'Thank you for coming. You want to come in?'

Jordan passed, taking the Easy Rider approach.

"And he's like, 'Nah, nah, we good. I just came by to show you some love,'" Wade said. "And he rode off on his motorcycle."