Watch: Michael Jordan once got embarrassed by investment banker playing 1-on-1
Michael Jordan is known for his ferocious competitiveness, whether on the basketball court or the golf course. While many consider Jordan the 'ultimate competitor,' an investment banker who played collegiate basketball for Princeton in the 70s beat MJ one-on-one.
During a camp in 2002, Michael Jordan was playing camp-goers in games to three. What he couldn't have predicted was that American CEO John Rogers would beat him in a game of one-on-one that was on camera.
After joking that he didn't host the camp just so he could lose, Michael Jordan shockingly did just that. After a missed shot gave Rogers an opportunity, he seized it, scoring layups on back-to-back possessions on the six-time NBA champ to clinch the win.
For his part, Michael Jordan, who was usually quick to ramp up the trash talk, embraced Rogers in a hug as he celebrated the achievement. According to Chris Ballard, who wrote about the moment at the time, while hugging Rogers, Jordan stated:
"Next time we’re on the court together, I’ll show you what it’s like to play in the NBA.”
Check out the footage below.
This wasn't the first time Michael Jordan and John Rogers had played together
As it turns out, the one-on-one game in camp wasn't the only time Michael Jordan and John Rogers played one another. In addition to the fact that Rogers had attended two previous camps run by Jordan, the former Princeton guard had played pickup games as well.
As he explained in an interview with AndScape years later, after Jordan retired for the second time in 1998, before his return in 2001, he wanted to test himself. As part of his journey back to playing at an NBA level, pickup games were organized to help him get back into shape.
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One of the players called upon to play was none other than John Rogers.
“I was there for about a half-dozen games, but eventually got cut when some of the top college players who were finishing their seasons came home. I got switched off on Michael from time to time during those games, and I remember he was going up for a shot once and I thought for sure I was going to block it. I whiffed.”
When Rogers got his chance to play Jordan one-on-one in camp, he didn't disappoint. Although his toughest battle arguably came after the win when he tried to secure the footage of the win, he was given the tape several months later.
Although Jordan notably hates losing, John Rogers will always hold onto the fact that he beat the man many consider the greatest of all time one-on-one.