Michael B. Jordan is waiting for the right time to meet NBA athlete and his namesake Michael Jordan. That moment will come after they both come to know who they really are.

Motivation

Jordan got candid and talked about his career and his motivations in his cover interview for the May issue of Men's Health. In the tell-all, the actor talked about how his connection with the famous basketball player helped shape him into a strong person growing up.

Sharing a name with one of the famous basketball players in history puts some added pressure on the actor. However, Jordan does not let his association with the athlete hamper his dreams and undermine his success. Instead, he used it as his source of motivation.

The Black Panther actor admitted that sharing the same name with the basketball legend made him competitive. Growing up, Jordan revealed that he always got teased in sports because of his name, so he had to be live up to his namesake. He had to compete, and this motivation eventually carried over to everything that he does.

"I couldn't be the guy with the name and not be good at it ... I'm like, I've got to be just as great if not greater than he was in his field," Jordan told the publication.

Meeting Michael Jordan

However, Jordan admitted that he has never met his legendary counterpart and prefers to keep it this way for now. He feels that it is not the right time for them to meet. The Creed star said he will wait until they are on equal footing.

"I never want to officially meet him until I'm at a point where he knows who I am and I know who he is," Jordan said and explained that it would be his and the basketball star's "mutual respect thing."

"Until then it would just be a 'this guy has your name, ha ha.' I don't want that. So that pushes me to keep working too. These things motivate me," the 31-year-old Fantastic Four actor added.

This motivation made Jordan into what he is today: a rising star. From humble beginnings of minor TV and movie roles, Jordan eventually caught the attention of viewers in his portrayal of Rocky Balboa's son in Creed, which he reprises in Creed II.

From there, success followed, including Jordan's portrayal of the villain Erik Killmonger in Black Panther, for which he received raved reviews. He is also the executive producer of HBO's Fahrenheit 451, where he is also a star. Jordan is just starting to carve a name for himself as a person of interest in Hollywood.