Michael B. Jordan on Michael Jordan Comparisons, Changing Name

What’s in a name? Just ask Michael B. Jordan.

After all, the Sinners actor—who shares his name with Michael Jordan—admitted that stepping out of the NBA legend’s shadow wasn’t exactly a slam dunk, as the bullying that came from being compared to a world-class athlete became a “big time” problem during his childhood.

“I got teased so much,” he told CBS Sunday Morning in an interview that aired Jan. 4, “to the point where I almost changed my name.”

In fact, the 38-year-old—who was named after his father, Michael A. Jordan—considered going by his middle name Bakari, meaning “noble promise” in Swahili. However, he opted instead to embrace his given moniker, noting that being compared to the basketball superstar “was a part of the alchemy that made me who I am today.”

“It definitely made me want to be competitive,” he explained. “I wanted to be great at something, if not for nothing else at that time, just to feel like I had my own identity.”