Pam Kunkel was a Chicago Bulls’ game operations supervisor during the team’s dominant years in the ’90s. She also had her an unforgettable Michael Jordan moment.
Kunkel’s job was more of a back-office work, which means she didn’t really get to interact a lot with the Bulls players. That being said, she was shocked when Jordan acknowledged and congratulated her after the Bulls reclaimed the NBA championship in 1996.
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According to Kunkel, MJ even kissed her, which made their interaction even more memorable.
“This was after the fourth championship. We’re sending stats all over the United Center,” Kunkel once recalled. “It’s 1:30. I (had to) tromp down to the locker room to find a team official and Michael was just coming out. What do you say to Michael Jordan? I said, ‘Congratulations.’ I’m, like, nobody in the scheme of things. And he said, ‘Congratulations to you too. I know this is your fourth championship, too.’ And then he kissed me on the cheek.”
Kunkel still couldn’t believe that MJ recognized her
Kunkel joined the Bulls back in 1974 as an assistant volunteer. From there, she was able to work her way up to being one of the supervisors who specialized in stats and media support.
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Despite her tenure with the team, Kunkel never became close to Jordan, which explains why she was really in disbelief when His Airness recognized her after the ’96 championship.
During a separate interview back in 2023, Kunkel recounted that moment once again and fondly admitted, “I didn’t even know he knew me.”
Jordan has respect for a women’s capabilities
It’s not a surprise that MJ appreciated Kunkel’s work and effort during her time with the Bulls. In fact, Jordan respects women’s abilities so much that the person he hired to be his spokesperson and business manager was actually a woman.
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Her name is Estee Portnoy.
“Estee handles my day-to-day marketing and business matters and serves as the primary contact for my corporate partners,” Jordan once shared. “She is responsible for managing my schedule, executing my corporate contracts, reviewing all marketing proposals, coordinating many of my charitable efforts, and for making sure that the use of my name and image is consistent with my wishes.”
“I challenge Estee on a regular basis to get things done for me,” he candidly admitted. “But she’s usually up to the challenge and pretty resourceful. I believe if you set your mind to something, you can succeed. And the people who work for me know that.”
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Jordan supports women athletes too
It’s also worth noting that Jordan has been an active supporter of women athletes, especially basketball players. Back in 2021, his Jordan Brand made a groundbreaking move by partnering with 11 young WNBA rising stars – Maya Moore, Kia Nurse, Asia Durr, Satou Sabally, Chelsea Dungee, Aerial Powers, Crystal Dangerfield, Arella Karin Guirantes, Te’a Cooper, Dearica Hamby and Jordin Canada.
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Moreover, the Jordan Brand has already partnered with various organizations focused on women’s basketball in recent years. The company continuously takes part in their advocacies and projects to this day.
All told, it’s truly fascinating to discover that Jordan’s love for the game isn’t only unconditional.
More importantly, it’s also genderless.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.