"He was talking so much junk to us that day" - Former NBA player Raymond Felton on his battles with Michael Jordan during his time in Charlotte
Former NBA player Raymond Felton has recalled his 'battles' with Michael Jordan during his time in Charlotte.
Jordan has been the owner of the Charlotte Hornets since 2010, but he was already a minority owner four years before that when the team was called the Bobcats. One of Jordan's former players, Felton, has revealed that they used to play pick-up games against "His Airness."
In an appearance on the 'Hornets Podcast' with Sam Dracula, Felton talked about his time in Charlotte from 2005 to 2010. One of the subjects they talked about was Jordan thinking he could still play at the time. Felton noted that Jordan was still winning 1-on-1 games against younger players.
"Everybody wanted that chance to go at MJ, you know? Guard them or play or try to score on him. It was fun, man. He still had that competitive spirit. I think he beat us, too. That's the craziest thing. I think he beat us," Felton said.
Felton and Dracula also experienced Michael Jordan's competitiveness even though he was the team's owner.
The former fifth overall pick mentioned that Jordan talked a lot of trash to them during practice sessions. Jordan would go on to change his clothes and play basketball against his own team.
"He was talking so much junk to us that day to the point where I think he came in the gym and he came back dressed to play. He's just talking junk and we told him, 'Go lace it up then. Come back out here.' Sure enough, he went in the back, came in the gym. He was ready to play one-on-one," Felton said.
Michael Jordan is known for his competitiveness, which is still evident even after his playing career has got over. After the NBA recognized the 75th Anniversary Team, Jordan, who recently turned 59, challenged a 62-year-old Magic Johnson to a 1-on-1 game.
59-year-old Michael Jordan challenges Magic Johnson to a game of 1-on-1 right now! #NBA75
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Michael Jordan's tenure as Charlotte Hornets owner
Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. However, his resume as an executive and as an owner is not as good compared to his playing days. Jordan became the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets in 2010, but how has the team fared since then?
During his first season as owner, the Bobcats qualified for the playoffs but were swept by the Orlando Magic in the first round. They would make it to the postseason again in 2014 but were once again swept in the first round, this time by the Miami Heat.
In 2016, the Hornets had their best season under Jordan's ownership, going 48-34. They faced the Miami Heat in the first round but were eliminated in seven games.
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However, the future of the Hornets is in good hands, with young players such as LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, PJ Washington and Kelly Oubre.