"We never lost and it was unbelievable" - Jamal Crawford reflects on playing pickup games with Michael Jordan after he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls
When Michael Jordan retired in 1998, he was still involved in some capacity with the Chicago Bulls. Before making his comeback in 2001 as a member of the Washington Wizards, Jordan helped the young Bulls during the offseason by often playing pick-up basketball with players such as Jamal Crawford.
In a recent interview with Gee Scott on the "Leaving a Legacy" podcast, Crawford talked about his friendship with Jordan. The three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner revealed that he played with Jordan in pick-up games during the Bulls' summer workouts.
"I actually get a chance to work out with him. While I’m working out with him, he’s teaching me different things, so we were on teams together in pickup for two straight years and never lost one game," Crawford said.
Jamal Crawford reflects on meeting a 40-year-old Michael Jordan and them not losing a pick-up game in 2 years.
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And Gee, when I say one game, I don’t mean we won five that day and they won four. We didn’t lose one single game within that day for two straight years. We never lost and it was unbelievable," he added.
Jamal Crawford developed a friendship with Michael Jordan during his very first season back in 2000. Crawford was a rookie with the Bulls when he met Jordan, who he considered his hero. Jordan was very helpful to Crawford, giving him advice and motivation.
Crawford played for the Bulls from 2000 to 2004, before getting traded to the New York Knicks. Meanwhile, Jordan unretired in 2001 to join the Washington Wizards, wherein he played two more seasons. "His Airness" retired for the last time at the end of the 2002-03 NBA season.
Michael Jordan's post-retirement career
Michael Jordan retired three times during his NBA career. The first was in 1993 after winning his third NBA championship. He tried playing professional baseball before coming back in the latter part of the 1994-95 NBA season.
"His Airness" retired for the second time in 1998 as a six-time NBA champion. Jordan became the Washington Wizards' president of basketball operations in 2000, returning as a player in 2001 before retiring for the final time two seasons later.
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The Wizards dismissed Jordan as team president in 2003, ending his tenure as an executive. Three years later, Jordan purchased a minority stake with the then-Charlotte Bobcats. In 2010, Jordan became the first former player to be majority owner of an NBA team and the first African-American majority owner in the league at the time.
Now in his 12th year as the Hornets' majority owner, Jordan has not had the same success he had as a player. The Hornets have only made the playoffs three times during his ownership, exiting all three in the first round. Nevertheless, the Hornets have one of the best young cores in the NBA, with players such as LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.