LeBron James could not believe that he was once on the same court as Michael Jordan - "I hope I don’t wake up”
LeBron James and Michael Jordan are two of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen. Unfortunately, they never played against or with each other as pro basketball players.
“King James,” however, has an entertaining story about playing with “His Airness” when he was in high school.
Here’s James narrating that unforgettable moment:
“They didn’t let me play for like the first hour. I’m 16! I’m just sitting there waiting [for] my turn. To be honest I didn’t even think I’d get the opportunity to play. And the only reason I played was because the guys in the league [NBA], after a few hours, some of them got tired. They’re like, ‘I’ve had enough with this s**t. I don’t deal with this s**t.
“They were like, ‘Young fella, we need a fill. Wanna play? To be on the court at 16 years old in high school, my favorite player of all time [Jordan], I was like, ‘This can’t be real, man. If they pinch me, I hope I don’t wake up.’”
Bron says he got to play pickup against MJ when he was 16 years old.
MJ hit the game-winner and reportedly said "That's why they pay me $33M to do this." 😤
(via @uninterrupted) https://t.co/U6Kpn2qElS
If LeBron James was 16 when they first played together on the basketball court, then Michael Jordan was around 38 and into his second retirement. Jordan would later return to the NBA in the summer as the starting shooting guard for the Washington Wizards.
Jordan may have been past his prime, but he still had the moves to beat players that were much younger than him. Maverick Carter, one of James’ closest friends, was also present during the event.
Here’s what Carter had to say about that game:
“It was a pickup [game] Stackhouse was there, Paul Pierce was there, Ron Artest, Jamal Crawford and all the Bulls. … Mike hit a game-winner. Same Utah [Jazz] follow through. He said, ‘That’s why they pay me $33 million to do that. I’ll never forget that.’”
Before his second retirement, Michael Jordan’s lasting image on the basketball court was his iconic shot against Byron Russell of the Utah Jazz. Jordan’s jumper sealed Game 6 for the Chicago Bulls in the 1998 Finals. The title was the sixth and final Larry O’Brien Trophy of Jordan's illustrious career.
LeBron James is still chasing Michael Jordan’s six championships
LeBron James’ last championship was in 2020 when he led the LA Lakers to the “Bubble Title” against the Miami Heat. His window to add more to his collection is growing smaller every year. James is now 38 years old and into his 20th season in the league.
The Lakers didn’t even make the playoffs last season but are currently playing the Golden State Warriors in the conference semi-finals this year. A slew of trade deadline moves have made Los Angeles a deeper and more balanced team. They just stole home-court advantage by beating the defending champs in Game 1.
LeBron James once said that he’s “chasing a ghost” in Chicago. That ghost happens to have six championships, something that James is still trying to match.
LeBron James admits that he's chasing Michael Jordan: "The ghost played in Chicago." goo.gl/dM07eE https://t.co/yrzkClakLV
The LA Lakers certainly have a legitimate chance of winning the championship this season. If they do so, “King James” will be just one title short of tying Michael Jordan’s overall collection.
Also read: Warriors fans troll LeBron James and the LA Lakers after blowing them out in Game 2 - "WHERE THE LAKER FANS AT"