Former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is a legend for more than just a game. The five-time World Series champion was known to level up his dating life, especially after winning his first World Series in 1996.
That was when Jeter began his brief relationship with Mariah Carey in 1997, when the face of the pinstripes franchise partnered with the face of pop music.
IMPORTANT: Here's Derek Jeter addressing the infamous gift basket rumor with @Buck. pic.twitter.com/OZExpjSprz
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) November 19, 2015
I’m Not A Player I Just Gift A Lot?
However, with tremendous success comes outlandish stories, whether real or unreal. One such story has followed Jeter his whole career. In 2011, a media outlet ran the rumor that Jeter would give out gift baskets of his autographed memorabilia to all his love interests after sending them back to the streets following one-night stands.
With former girlfriends like Jessica Biel, Minka Kelly, and Miss Universe winner Lara Dutta, the world has been convinced for years that Jeter was a player, and tales of his exploits grew. Jeter first spoke about the veracity of the gift baskets story in 2015 to sports broadcaster Joe Buck during an episode of his show “Undeniable.”
“When a young lady is making her way either out of the door or out of your life you present them with a nice gift basket?” Buck asked.
“But hold on on top of it, it was a gift basket of my own memorabilia,” Jeter clarified to showcase the notion’s absurdity to him. “So it’s a dumb story, right, and you really have to be dumber to believe it, but people believe it.”
Blame It On The Bros
Jeter clarified that he wasn’t calling Joe Buck dumb, but he was busting a shot at the community of bros who did believe in the player church of Jeter.
In an upcoming documentary series called “The Captain,” Jeter reportedly went even further, describing a little-known “gift basket” incident. Apparently, there is an incredible anecdote about an interaction with a random fan who ran into Jeter and wanted to make sure he knew how the gift basket legend inspired him.
However, for Jeter it was yet another reason to stick it to the overactive imagination of the bro’s.
“You know, you see it, and then it’s like, how the f**k did people come up with this? You know, basically, that’s it. And who would believe this sh*t?
“I remember being at a Starbucks one time and there’s some random guy behind me and he says, ‘Hey, I just want to let you know that I’m giving out gift baskets because you did.’ And I turned around and said, ‘You’re a f**kin’ idiot!’ and the look on his face; like, did he think I was going to say, ‘Yeah, good job, man!'”
Derek Jeter is determined to dash the hopes and dreams of his fans that aspire to be on his playboy level, whether real or imagined. However, for a former ballplayer who built his brand on being the good guy, Jeter would rather keep the fantastically egotistical dirt off his name.
