Michael Jordan is widely considered to be one of the best, if not the best, to ever play the game of basketball. He made a splashy appearance at the NBA All-Star game this Sunday, greeting both current superstars and past legends alike.
Michael Jordan
| Position: | SF, SG |
| Age: | 59 |
| Height: | 199 cm |
| Weight: | 98 kg |
| Birth place: | United States of America |
LeBron James hit a game-winning fadeaway jumper to secure the victory for Team LeBron in the match. The shot was inspired by Michael Jordan, he claimed after the game.
“I wouldn’t be here without MJ’s inspiration. Always wanted to be like him growing up,” LeBron told the media after the match. “It’s crazy that the game-winning shot today was a fadeaway, and it was inspired by MJ.”
“You know, the way he wore his shoes, the way he wore his uniform, I mean, all the way to some of the cars that he drove, how much he inspired me,” James continued. “I didn’t want to waste that opportunity because we’re not in the same building a lot, and haven’t been in the same building throughout my career.”
“It meant something to me,” the Los Angeles Lakers superstar and a current great finished.
As part of its 75th-anniversary celebration, the league has released a list featuring the 75 greatest players in NBA history. As part of Sunday’s ceremony, the NBA recognized the team during halftime of the All-Star game. Usher, Spike Lee, Tiffany Haddish, and Anthony Anderson narrated the ceremony, while Earth, Wind & Fire performed their song “Shining Star.”
The NBA 75th-anniversary team got greeted with loud applause. It was no surprise that Michael Jordan got the loudest cheers of all the superstars and legends that appeared at halftime.
During a moving halftime tribute, 45 members of the 75th Anniversary Team — including Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James — stood elbow to elbow on a giant circular stage in the middle of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
There have been numerous speculations throughout the decades on why a televised 1-on-1 match between Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson did not happen. “The differences between Isiah [Thomas] and myself was the reason why the players union went against it,” MJ said in an interview back in 1990.
“I still think that you should not prevent two individuals from making a business proposition and making a financial situation from this,” Jordan said back then. Now, he’s 100% ready to make that happen.
“Where ya shoes at? We can go play 1-on-1, me and you, right now,” Jordan told Magic when he first met him at the All-Star game.
Jordan was seen attending the race in Daytona Beach, Florida, and conspicuously absent from a pregame photo with the 75th Anniversary Team, which caused some to believe he had chosen Daytona over the NBA’s event. The race ended around 6:48 p.m. ET, about an hour and a half before the All-Star Game was set to tip off.
Attending the All-Star Game would have required Jordan to sprint from Daytona International Speedway to an airport, take a private jet, and head straight to the arena before halftime ended. Apparently, he did that. MJ was the last player to be announced and was met with loud applause.
Jordan met multiple players throughout the night, including Luka Doncic whom he passionately hugged, just like he did with Jerry West. Current superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damien Lillard, and James Harden also made the 75th-anniversary players’ list and shared a moment with one of the greatest ever.
“I just went up to introduce myself to him. I was kind of surprised he knew who I was. No, I’m joking,” Giannis told after the All-Star match.