Mac McClung on his NBA Mount Rushmore of dunkers :

Zach LaVine
Vince Carter
Michael Jordan
Dominique Wilkins

Do you agree with this list?

(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/pLenByDS3s

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 16, 2024

Jordan and Wilkins acknowledged that the Slam Dunk contest isn’t what it used to be, with NBA superstars refusing to take part. However, Jordan was quick to point out that it has become more difficult now as the players need to be more creative. For them, there weren’t any varieties of dunks that the fans had seen, whereas, over the years, they have witnessed everything. This leads to the participants having to either repeat or be extra creative.

In an article by ‘AP News‘, the six-time NBA champion talks about his Slam Dunk Contest experience and battles with Wilkins before choosing his best dunk over the years. He says, “The most amazing dunk I have ever seen is probably Vince Carter when he hung his elbow in the rim. To me, that was, without question, just unbelievable.” Michael Jordan, like most of us, believed that the Vince Carter dunks were the best in the history of the contest.

Despite having some of the best sky-walkers in his era, he still gave Carter the nod. In fact, most of Jordan’s dunks still remain iconic. No one can ever forget the dunk from the free-throw line that left the whole arena gobsmacked. That being said, no one would debate Jordan picking Carter. Arguably, one of the greatest dunkers in the NBA, Vince Carter was ‘half man-half amazing’. His dunks have become the barometer for any young player wanting to prove himself in the contest.

Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins talk about LeBron James

The All-Star Dunk Contest lineups have taken a 180-degree flip over the years. Earlier, it had All-Star caliber players participating, whereas now, most names are unknown to the casual NBA fan. The last two editions of the contest have been won by a G-League player. Wilkins and Jordan realized the shift and talked about wanting to see NBA superstars like LeBron James participating in the contest. Here is an excerpt from the ‘AP News’ article:

“‘I’d have loved to have seen LeBron,’ Wilkins said.

Jordan agreed, saying he knows fans are clamoring to have seen James try it at least once.

‘What we did in the game and excitement that we created when we did dunk,’ Jordan said. ‘People wanted to see that. Is it the same today? Maybe not.'”

Michael Jordan agreed with his fellow competitor and talked about the excitement slowly dying out from the contest. And, they are not wrong. Over the past few years, the Slam Dunk Contest has lost its charm as NBA stars refuse to participate. There is no dearth of talent in the league at present. NBA stars like Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, and Zion Williamson can still revive the contest if they are willing to do so. The NBA should take a hard look at the future of the competition.

The post “Most Amazing Dunk I’ve Ever Seen”: When Michael Jordan Discussed Dunk Contests With Dominique Wilkins, Brought Up LeBron James appeared first on The SportsRush.

In the mid-2023 season, the Silver and Black saw a major overhaul after abruptly firing HC Josh McDaniel and GM Dave Ziegler. Since then, Antonio Pierce has been trusted with the playmaker’s job, and he hasn’t disappointed. So much so that the front office decided to make him the permanent head man. He has since brought in this mentality that the players resonate with and a f,ew are even willing to run through a wall for their head coach. They have his back as well since Maxx Crosby asserted that he’d transfer to another team if Pierce hadn’t gotten the head coaching job.

Pierce certainly caught more than a few eyes, as he’s now leading the Raiders to the 2024 season with the back of a 5-4 record. But he has a game plan, and it consists of overcoming Patrick Mahomes. During his recent appearance on Maxx Crosby’s ‘The Rush‘ podcast, Pierce expressed that he not only wishes to get in Mahomes’ head but mess with him mentally, physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.

Pierce also recalled how Jordan had to fight through adversity while facing the Pistons, and that’s exactly what he and his Raiders aspire to achieve. He also openly expressed his hatred and said,

“We’ve got to knock off the head of the snake. Fifteen. Hate the color red,” Pierce said. “There’s a hatred for the Chiefs,” as per NBC Sports.

It’s worth noting that Pierce was able to beat the Chiefs on Christmas Day last year while going into the matchup as underdogs. Perhaps his strategy will actually thrive, and we will see the end of the Mahomes Era. So the question remains:

What Did the Pistons Do in Order to Limit Michael Jordan

Let’s travel back to the late ’80s — 1888, 1989, and 1990, to be exact — when the Detroit Pistons dominated the Eastern Conference Finals and overcame the Chicago Bulls in each of the postseasons they faced. Their strategy was simple — the Bad Boys would wear Jordan down both physically and emotionally with their aggressive defense, even double-teaming him when Jordan drove to the basket.

This was called the ‘Jordan Rules’, and former Pistons head coach Chuck Daly once recalled how they would force Jordan left and double him when he was at the point. And if His Airness was on the left wing, they would promptly double-team him from the top, but it would be slow in case Jordan was on the right wing.

This strategy worked until 1991 when the Bulls finally beat the Pistons for the Conference title and would go on to win the NBA Championship in that same year. Fans and pundits alike have argued for decades that if Jordan didn’t have to face the Pistons, he might have added a few more rings. Perhaps Antonio Pierce will also go on to execute a similar level of defense in the coming season — The Patrick Mahomes special. Only time will tell.

The post Antonio Pierce Reveals the Raiders Plan to Intimidate Patrick Mahomes as the Pistons Did to Michael Jordan appeared first on The SportsRush.

Lazenby is an eminent Sportswriter and has penned over 60 nonfiction books in his career, all revolving around basketball and American football. As a hoops writer, he has covered the decorated careers of both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in his brilliant books. The 72-year-old’s 1996 work Bull Run! The Story of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls earned him the Sports Book of the Year Award in 1997. His 2014 book Michael Jordan: The Life also earned the Sports Book of the Year Award in 2015 and is often regarded as his most notable work.

During the interview, Adit brought up Luka Doncic’s past comments on how it is easier to score in the NBA compared to that in Europe had prompted some backlash from fans. He asked Lazenby if Doncic’s impact would have been similar in the bygone eras when defensive assignments were taken more seriously. In response, Lazenby said that Lakers legend Jerry West once told him that “truly great players” from across eras always “find a way” to play “under any rules”. According to West, the top-class talent from any period can adjust and thrive no matter the physicality of contemporary players. 

“You can look at Luka [Doncic], LeBron [James], Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Michael [Jordan], Larry [Bird], Magic [Johnson], you can go on down the list, probably Dennis Rodman. All these different figures who found their own way to greatness in that 94-foot space. They would find it just as LeBron does today,” said Lazenby.

Then the veteran basketball author touched upon the subject of old-school hoops fans disregarding modern players. Lazenby admitted that the physicality in the league has been watered down and part of what makes Michael Jordan great was the relentless contact in the game of his time, especially when he went up against the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons. He credited the blows dealt by the team as a way for MJ to figure out how to be even greater than he already was.

However, despite the disparity in physicality between the two eras, Lazenby remarked that Stephen Curry would still find a way to dazzle physically stronger defenders. To shed more light on this perspective, he alluded to Phil Jackson’s stance on Curry, which was that the guard would be like LSU and Denver Nuggets’ mid-range maestro Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (known as Chris Jackson earlier). Abdul-Rauf never hit the 20 points per game mark during the season and was a borderline All-Star player. Therefore, Jackson believed that Curry would be at best like him. 

However, Lazenby disagrees with the former Chicago Bulls head coach and thinks that the ball-handling wizard would have been as great during the physically demanding eras as he is today. In fact, for the renowned author, Curry’s impact would have been way greater back in the day.

“I think Steph Curry would have still found a way to change the game. He is revolutionary as a shooter. He changed the parameters of the court. In a lot of ways doing what he has done would have been even more powerful considering the old rules. Now it would have been tougher on him with the hand-checking, probably so. They would have come out and defended him on the perimeter and gotten into him. But you know, he is a brilliant ball-handler, and they can set screens anywhere on the floor,” Lazenby told The SportsRush.

For Lazenby, if the NBA goes back to the old rules and allows more contact, it’d be intriguing to watch a shooter like Curry work. His enthusiasm when talking about Curry displayed his respect for the old-school greats and new-school greats alike. His perspective helps balance the polarization that has engulfed the NBA world for a long time. The author believes that no matter how the game is played, top-flight players figure out a way to prominence. 

The post EXCLUSIVE: “They Would Find it Just as LeBron Does Today” – Great Players Like Luka Doncic and Wilt Chamberlain Can Dominate in Any Era, Says Roland Lazenby appeared first on The SportsRush.

Lazenby’s 2014 book Michael Jordan: The Life is probably the most riveting account of the Chicago Bulls legend’s eventful NBA career. The 72-year-old author revealed during the course of the interview how he had fostered close relationships with some of the biggest names in NBA history, which made him privy to the untold stories in their lives. On the other hand, Lazenby has also been an eye-witness to the rapid changes that the NBA has underwent since 2000, that has fueled its commercial growth.

Had the pleasure of interviewing Roland Lazenby for @TheSportsRushUS @lazenby pic.twitter.com/B3Tqey1jaD

— Adit Pujari (@pujariadit7) February 16, 2024

However, the rapid financial growth in the NBA has come at the expense of the traditional brand of basketball that made so many of us fall in love with the game. “…Before the NBA got rid of defense, a lot of the old style defense. They allowed the rules to be changed in 2001 and those changes were gradual but they totally re-made the game. The gameplay today is nothing like the gameplay just 30 years ago-the game that Magic [Johnson] and Larry [Bird] and Michael [Jordan] and Kobe [Bryant] and Shaq [O’Neal] played,” Lazenby told Adit.

The veteran Sportswriter credited these ‘dramatic’ changes to the rapid globalization of the league. While Lazenby lauded the growth of basketball in America as a commercial product, he warned that the financial rewards have come at the cost of the sanctity of basketball. The modern NBA has made the game more scorer-friendly to make their product more appealing to a wider spectrum of fans. But Lazenby believes that that is not a very wise decision.

He provided the example of the game of soccer to illustrate his point. The celebrated biographer explained that soccer fans are always at the edge of their seats despite the average soccer game producing only a few goals. However, if the guys in ‘suits’ behind the scenes decide to eliminate goalkeepers from the game to make the sport more entertaining for fans, the move will definitely backfire.

While scoring and scorers are celebrated in every sport, the act of scoring has to be made difficult for it to be fun. Only then will the audience appreciate its value. If scoring is made more accessible, then it would actually lose its value. The appeal of a good scorer is that he overcomes the resistance of the opposition’s defense to reach his goal, like Michael Jordan overcame ‘The Jordan Rules’ of the ‘Bad Boy’ Detroit Pistons in 1991. Now if there is no resistance from the opposition, then a scorer’s efforts also mean nothing.

Lazenby wanted to reiterate the common adage that every hero needs a competent villain to display his true greatness. However, the hero has no way to stand out if there is no villain to defeat and hence, he is no longer respected by the masses. That’s exactly what has been the fate of NBA All-Star games for the past few years.

The post EXCLUSIVE: Michael Jordan’s Biographer Roland Lazenby Explains What Ended MJ and Kobe Bryant’s Brand of Basketball appeared first on The SportsRush.

Following his father’s tragic demise after the 1993 season, Michael Jordan announced his unexpected retirement from the NBA. For the entire 1993-1994 season, MJ tried his luck in baseball. However, after 65 games of the 1994-1995 campaign passed, the 6ft 6” star decided to put an end to his baseball dreams and announced his return to basketball.

Despite rejoining the Bulls franchise, MJ decided to wear the number #45 instead of his iconic #23. The reason behind the same – #45 was the number he wore in high school. However, Jordan was not quite his former self in this new jersey.

Come playoff time, during the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Bulls and the Orlando Magic, Orlando star Nick Anderson made the fatal mistake of taunting the Bulls legend about his poor form. Following the Bulls’ Game 3 loss, Anderson dissed Jordan by stating that #45 wasn’t as good as #23. Known for “taking things personally”, Jordan came out the next game, donning the #23 jersey. Brian Shaw recounted the entire incident on Paul George’s podcast.

“Within that series, I think after Game 2 when we went to Chicago, Jordan changed his jersey back to 23 because Nick Anderson after we had won (the previous) game, he said ‘number 45 ain’t what 23 used to be’. And then everybody was like, ‘You need to shut you’re a** up’,” Shaw added.

Usually, such stories end up with MJ humiliating his opponent. However, this time around, Anderson was lucky enough. The next game, MJ did erupt for a 26-point, 7-rebound, and 4-steal performance, leading the Bulls to a 106-95 Game 4 win. However, Shaquille O’Neal’s brilliance allowed the Florida side to emerge victorious eventually, finishing off the series 4-2.

Michael Jordan caused the Bulls to be slapped with a hefty $100,000 fine

Michael Jordan’s #23 was iconic. Apart from winning a national championship for the University of North Carolina, Jordan also wore the number from 1984 to 1994. In those 10 years, MJ won three MVPs, seven scoring titles, three Championships, and three Finals MVPs. Despite being extremely successful repping the number, Jordan didn’t want to wear #23 as it was the last number that his father saw him wear before his passing.

“When I came back, I didn’t want to play in the last number that my father had seen me wear,” Jordan said.

After a short stint with the number #45 on his back, Jordan switched back to number #23. Explaining the decision, the Bulls superstar simply stated, “That’s me, #23 is me. So why try to be something else? #23 is something that I really feel comfortable with and that’s the reason I went to it.”

For allowing their star player to switch numbers in the middle of a playoff series without notifying the league, the NBA commissioner slapped the Bulls with a hefty $100,000 fine. While the Illinois side failed to win the 1995 championship, they did manage to lift the title in 1996, 1997, and 1998… with Jordan representing the number #23.

The post “You Need to Shut Your A** Up”: No 45 Michael Jordan Getting Heckled by Nick Anderson Didn’t Go Over Well with Brian Shaw and the Magic appeared first on The SportsRush.

Just a day ago, Jordan posted an image with his love interest from his Instagram story. In that instance, the couple was sitting side by side on an aircraft while Pippen was seemingly taking a nap. The former college basketball player appreciated the moment with the caption, “Sleeping beauty Larsa Pippen”.

So Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan are back together? pic.twitter.com/c3nLjsDVi7

— What are NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) February 19, 2024

Soon after that, the bond of the couple made the headlines as they partied together during an evening. As per THE Source, they reportedly “appeared affectionate, whispering to each other” at LIV Miami. It added further volume to their reunion following a transitory rough patch.

#NewPost : Larsa Pippen Spotted Partying with Marcus Jordan Amid Breakup Rumors https://t.co/WvZ1E3oPFh #WeGotUs #SourceLove pic.twitter.com/78iqB0lrPO

— HERSource (@HerSource) February 19, 2024

This latest turn of events has ignited discussions all around as the couple has yet again become the talk of the town. From re-following each other on social media to publicly displaying their admiration for each other, the ongoing transition has transformed the narrative. Their recent hiatus from each other has seemingly become a thing of the past as the pair stayed invested in each other.

The calm after the storm

The current scenario sparked interest as the couple allegedly decided on a separation slightly more than a week ago. Larsa unfollowed her boyfriend before deleting his pictures from her account. Marcus Jordan followed in the footsteps promptly as the founder of The Trophy Room copied her actions.

It all seems to be over for Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan. #RHOM #RHOMiami pic.twitter.com/NRjHul5MlT

— Reality Tea (@RealityTea) February 12, 2024

Following that, Larsa indirectly berated the Chicago-born while sharing a list of desired qualities in her partner. The 49-year-old shared a story, highlighting, “The man you choose to be your partner affects everything in your life. Your mental health, your peace of mind, your love inside you, your happiness, how you get through such tragedies, your successes, how your children will be raised”.

Larsa Pippen posted a story about choosing the right partner pic.twitter.com/iiPB8OVDqP

— What are NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) February 12, 2024

Her attempts persisted as ‘The Real Housewives of Miami’ star provided further clues of a breakup through her endeavours. In another Instagram story, she raised the question, “Should your friends unfollow your ex?” adding momentum to the chaos.

#RHOM Star #LarsaPippen unfollows #MarcusJordan and removes his pictures from her Instagram. pic.twitter.com/EpaeQluZyT

— The Gworls Are Fighting (@baddietvv) February 12, 2024

Therefore, the recent actions have turned the tide of their relationship entirely in a different direction. The unexpected reversal of their status has raised a few eyebrows as the expressive personalities chose to put their past behind them. At this stage, it would be interesting to watch how the couple progresses to the next step after dropping hints surrounding their marriage last year.

The post Michael Jordan’s Son Marcus Hints at a Reconciliation with Larsa Pippen with a Sneaky Flight Picture: “Sleeping Beauty” appeared first on The SportsRush.

“On a personal level, Michael was more charismatic and gregarious than Kobe. He loved being with his teammates and security guards, playing cards, smoking cigars, and joking around. Kobe is different. He was reserved as a teenager, in part because he was younger than the other players and hadn’t been able to develop his social skills in college.”

While Bryant kept to himself in his early career years, his personality evolved as he got older. Jackson wrote that the five-time NBA champion avoided spending time with his older teammates, but his approach automatically changed once they were replaced with players closer to his age. He spent more time with his teammates, got more involved in their lives, and socialized with them. Jackson wrote that by the 2008-09 season, Bryant was the ‘life of the party.’

The Los Angeles Lakers icon was drafted into the NBA straight out of high school. He had also spent seven years in Italy when his father played professional basketball. Bryant never had the opportunity to develop social skills, and he even admitted that living in Europe and being unable to speak the local language thwarted him from making friends. He got comfortable living in isolation and remained that way until his mid-20s when he finally shared a locker room with people his age.

Phil Jackson outlines the differences between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had similar measurements. They both stood 6-foot-6-inches tall and had a wingspan of 6-foot-11-inches. They also weighed roughly the same during their playing days. However, they had a couple of physical attributes that stood out. Phil Jackson explained,

“Michael [Jordan] was stronger, with bigger shoulders and a sturdier frame. He also had large hands that allowed him to control the ball better and make subtle fakes. Kobe [Bryant] is more flexible—hence, his favorite nickname, ‘Black Mamba.'”

Despite outlining the differences and watching them up close, Jackson agrees with the popular sentiment that Bryant was the player who came closest to emulating Jordan. He wrote,

“Ever since Kobe was a rookie, the question of whether he would become ‘the next Michael Jordan’ had been the subject of endless speculation. Now that Kobe’s game had matured, this no longer seemed like a frivolous question. Even Jordan has said that Kobe is the only player who can be compared to him, and I have to agree.”

Bryant’s admiration for Jordan is well-documented, and the Chicago Bulls icon was also fond of the Lakers legend. Jordan even admitted that Bryant is probably the only player who could beat him one-on-one because he stole all his moves. Bryant and Jordan will forever be linked because of their similarities as players and their impact on the sport.

The post “Michael Jordan was More Charismatic”: Lakers Former HC Claimed Kobe Bryant’s Reserved Personality was Completely Different From MJ appeared first on The SportsRush.

Lazenby is a renowned sportswriter who has written dozens of nonfiction books and countless articles and columns, which capture the intriguing inside stories of the basketball and football world in America. The author of books like The Lakers: A Basketball Journey, Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant, Bull Run! The Story of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, and Michael Jordan: The Life, Lazenby has had a front-row seat to the NBA’s mid-season gala for decades now.

He noted, during the interview, how he could sense an alienation of the league’s age-old customs during the All-Star break with the rapid globalization of the NBA in the past two decades or so.

“The globalization of basketball has changed Public Relations in the NBA. This weekend we’re gonna have the NBA All-Star game. I used to go every year because I could hang out and talk to all sorts of people and have wonderful conversations. But that began to change about 2000, when Michael Jordan went to Washington,” Lazenby told The SportsRush.

He admitted that the NBA’s attempt to target a global audience has made the league more lucrative and a better brand. However, Lazenby lamented that the glitz and the glamor of the modern NBA has rendered candid conversations that he used to have with players in the locker room during the All-Star break a relic of the past. The Michael Jordan: The Life author noted that the locker rooms are too crowded nowadays to unfold engaging stories, that he so often does in his popular books.

Had the pleasure of interviewing Roland Lazenby for @TheSportsRushUS @lazenby pic.twitter.com/B3Tqey1jaD

— Adit Pujari (@pujariadit7) February 16, 2024

Instead the modern landscape is more interested in creating a more vibrant product that dazzles the audience. “That changed everything, particularly at the All-Star game, because you had these platoons of reporters and it sort of created a crushing crowd. And PR was suddenly managing everything,” the 72-year-old author added.

Meanwhile, Lazenby reminisced about a wonderful conversation that he had with the late great Kobe Bryant in the locker room before the 1997 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest. However, he noted in a dejected voice that those conversations are lost forever in today’s NBA. The crushing machine that is the NBA media makes it impossible for players to have sincere relationships with reporters anymore, something that Roland Lazenby had with Michael Jordan.

The post EXCLUSIVE: “When Michael Jordan Went to Washington” – Roland Lazenby Details How Global Fame Has Changed the NBA All-Star Weekend appeared first on The SportsRush.

While the photoshoot for both teams was taking place, Jordan began his banter. His first victim was none other than Alonzo Mourning. Talking to the Heat legend, Jordan said,

“Number 45. Man, that’s a very bad lucky number. “

 

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For many who might not know, Jordan played in the league wearing the number ’45’. He wore it back in High School and debuted it during his 1994-1995 season. The season would be a resounding failure for the Bulls, as Shaq and the Magic would eliminate the Bulls in the playoffs.

Talking about Shaq, the 7’1 center was also a starter on the East during the 1996 All-Star game. To many people’s surprise, O’Neal and MJ would play a small game of 1v1, with Shaq coming out on top. During his entire exchange with Shaq, Jordan decided to address the Big Fella as “Shaq Daddy”.

But calling O’Neal “Shaq Daddy“, wouldn’t be the end of Jordan’s antics. While walking through the stadium with the Eastern Conference team, Jordan jokingly told Glen Rice,

“I bet you, you’re going to shoot the first air ball.”

Now, unknown to many, Rice was set to defend his 3-point contest title that very evening. Unfortunately, things unraveled exactly like Jordan predicted it would, as Tim Legler of the Washington Wizards would beat out Glen Rice, taking home the trophy that year.

Even though ‘Rice’ couldn’t secure the win in the shooting contest, the All-Star game saw a different outcome. The East stayed in control throughout the contest, as Jordan and O’Neal proved too much for the West. The final score sat at 129-118, and Jordan was named MVP of the All-Star game.

Michael Jordan and Chris Paul changed the All-Star Game

The 2024 All-Star game saw a return to the previous format of, the West taking on the East. The last six editions of the tournament saw, mostly Stephen Curry, LeBron James, or Giannis Antetokounmpo, drafting their respect squads, as a captain system was introduced.

But unknown to many, MJ had a role to play in this monumental change to the All-Star Game format. Back in 2018, Jordan was still the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, while also being chairman of the league’s labor relations committee. Alongside the then Players Union President Chris Paul, Jordan would appeal for the change in the All-Star Game format.

Both Paul and Jordan were deeply invested in changing the format, as the All-Star game had become a joke, with teams scoring up to 180/190 points on one another. Playing defense was completely thrown out of the game, as the All-Star game started resembling a ‘lazy pick-up game’.

With the introduction of the ‘Captain System’, both Paul and Jordan believed that things would become more competitive between players. Concerns surrounding, ‘tampering’ and ‘voting’ did arise, but the league moved forward with the change, as the All-Star game needed to be revitalized urgently. Fast forward a few years, and the All-Star game continues to be more or less the same. Though things did get more exciting with the new format, the play on the court remained mostly the same, with defense still being non-existent during the whole four quarters.

The post “Come Here Shaq Daddy!”: Michael Jordan Mic’d Up at the 1996 All Star Game Led to a Slew of Iconic Soundbites appeared first on The SportsRush.

In the prime of their careers, there is no doubt that Michael Jordan would’ve been the winner of this hypothetical matchup. Even RJ admitted that a 40-year-old MJ cooked his 20-something-year-old self. However, the interviewer from The Score was pretty clear that this battle was to happen “right now”.

Currently, Jordan is 61 years old. Hence, Jefferson believed that he had an unfair advantage over the Chicago Bulls legend. “I’d cook his a**. Look, this is no disrespect to MJ… But, body starts catching up when you’re old,” the 43-year-old said.

 

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The 2016 NBA Champion even predicted the score line of the contest, keeping it to a respectable 11-7. By stating that the 61-year-old would score 7 points, RJ did give a lot of respect to his opponent, who is infamous for taking things personally. But Jefferson’s answer seems to be justifiable as it’s been about six years since his retirement. On the other hand, MJ hasn’t played pro-ball since the early 2000s.

Meanwhile, Metta World Peace’s answer on the same was slightly different from Richard Jefferson’s. Unlike the latter, MWP believed that Jordan would be lethal enough at the age of 61 to get in his opponent’s “area” and defeat them.

 

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The Score has been asking a lot of players whether they could take on Michael Jordan right now. Almost everyone’s answers have been in the affirmative.

Michael Jordan did “whoop” Richard Jefferson

While answering the reporter, Richard Jefferson did mention how Michael Jordan “whooped” him as a youngster. Jefferson wasn’t exaggerating when he made this statement.

The two players went head-to-head seven times, all of them in Jordan’s final two seasons. Even though Jefferson won five of those contests, MJ averaged more points (22.1-15.7), rebounds (5.6-4.7), assists (4-2.3), and steals (2.1-1.4).

On 31^st December 2001, in their first meeting itself, the six-time NBA Champion asserted his dominance. With Jefferson guarding him, the Washington Wizards star erupted for a near triple-double 45-point, 10-rebound, and 7-assist performance.

After suffering five straight losses against Jefferson’s team, Jordan exploded for a 43-point, 10-rebound double-double performance in their final meeting.

Richard Jefferson wasn’t the only opponent who Michael Jordan humiliated. During his final two seasons, nearing the age of 40, he averaged 21.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. At the time, even several All-Stars couldn’t manage to put up such numbers.

The post “I’d Cook His A**”: 61 Y/o Michael Jordan Gets ‘Called Out’ by Richard Jefferson Who Ponders Over a 1v1 Between the Two appeared first on The SportsRush.