Deprived Of NBA Luxury, LeBron James Reveals Michael Jordan’s Unseen Failure in Lesser-Known Chicago Encounter
The GOAT debate in the NBA is still as heated as ever. But have you ever wondered what it would be like if LeBron James played against Michael Jordan? That dream matchup would have certainly settled the debate to some extent.
While many regret that the two never had the luxury to face off in the league, there was actually a moment when the two GOATs ganged up against one another. What happened in the battle? LeBron gave a glimpse into the legendary showdown.
The topic came up on the New Heights podcast where NFL star brothers, the Kelce siblings, invited LeBron James for a chatty session. During the show, the Lakers star was asked about a pickup game he played against Michael Jordan in Chicago at MJ’s court. LeBron confirmed it and shared details of the matchup. “First of all, MJ, Antoine Walker, and the rest of those guys did not let young guys get on the court at all,” the 40-year-old revealed.
These were legendary players, so it was only expected that they would spend more time on the court. Moreover, LeBron mentioned, “I was 16 years old. I was sophomore in high school.” That certainly gave them all the more reason not to give him the opportunity.
LeBron further explained, “It takes a while to get on the court. It’s usually when the older guys, they get tired and they don’t want to play no more. They like ‘whatever.’” But eventually, he got his chance. “I was on the court with Michael Jordan, Antoine Walker, Penny Hardaway, Ron Artest, Michael Finley, all these guys.”
That was definitely a glittering moment for the forward back then. Travis Kelce was eager to know more, so he asked who guarded LeBron. The answer quickly came, “Nobody, I was unguardable.” To that, the hosts cheered loudly for LeBron.
This means that Jordan couldn’t guard a 16-year-old LeBron, which definitely deserved some praise on the latter’s part. Thankfully, not many knew about the game. While LeBron sounded confident talking about it now, he wasn’t feeling the same way deep down back then.
Going up against such big personalities can feel overwhelming, and LeBron James was no exception. He felt just like any other teenager would when facing off against Michael Jordan and his legendary company.
“There’s a clip out right now of actually Metal World Peace talking about that moment as well,” LeBron informed the Kelce brothers. “Like I was ‘Oh man, I gotta check it out.’ When I finally got out there, I was like, I’m busting as-, man. I was nervous. It’s time to show up.” It was obviously difficult to keep calm when staring down such a star-studded lineup.
“I was nervous as hell being out there with MJ and the rest of those guys… I was like, oh, I’m about to go crazy,” he recalled. And guess what happened after all? “I did, I did, man,” the 4-time champion proudly confessed about that momentary achievement.
Despite the nerves and pressure, LeBron proved that even at 16, he had the talent to go up against some of the greatest basketball players and succeed. No matter how much success he achieves in his life, this moment will undoubtedly hold a special place in his heart.
