"I got put on a poster": 6’2 Ex-NBA player recalls nightmarish encounter when Michael Jordan left him with a 'fat lip'
Former New York Knicks guard Charlie Ward told a hilarious story about playing NBA legend Michael Jordan on Friday on "The Dan Patrick Show." Ward, who arrived in the league as the 26th pick of the 1994 draft while Jordan was at his peak, talked about how blocking MJ gave him the confidence to challenge him the next time he came inside for a layup.
This time, however, the 6-foot-6 icon won the confrontation against the 6-2 reserve.
“There was no layup rule, and every time someone went to the basket, there was going to be a challenge in some form or fashion, whether it was standing in front of a guy or going to try to meet him, and so Michael Jordan, this time, was going to the basket and I decided that, ‘Hey, it may be a good idea to try to go over and block his shot again,’" Ward said.
“Unfortunately, that time I got put on a poster and with a fat lip. And then I always I always ask how many people have that story? So, I'm just grateful to have great Michael Jordan stories because that meant that I was I was there in the building.”
Charlie Ward had immense respect for Michael Jordan
While Charlie Ward was left embarrassed when he tried to block Michael Jordan’s shot, the 1993 Heisman Trophy winner from Florida State has immense respect for the six-time champ.
In an interview with WCTV, Ward said that Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ presence meant that his team was always competing at "the next level."
Ward, who described MJ as a "bad boy," said that he was always left in awe when watching him:
“Man, how did he do that? But that just who he was, and that's what fueled him and fueled his teams to be successful."
Ward said that he was proud of being able to block the legend at the rim:
"It might not have been clean. But it was a block. I've also been a poster on the other side where I got dunked on."
Ward confessed to having trash-talked with MJ, saying that he was at times simply happy because Jordan spoke to him:
"I was like, 'Oh, Micheal Jordan spoke to me,' so, I was just like everyone else."
Needless to say, while Ward did his best to compete, he was also left in awe by the legend.