When Michael Jordan Took Over the NBA
Magic Johnson tells the story of when he and Larry Bird handed the throne to Michael Jordan.
If you’re a young fan and have only watched new-gen basketball, you probably didn’t know that Michael Jordan wasn’t always the top dog in the NBA.
But if you’re not, then you know that before it was Jordan’s league, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird ran the NBA (and everything basketball related).
But do you know when it happened? Do you know when the torch was passed to His Airness?
In a recent All The Smoke episode, Magic revealed when and how Jordan broke through the gates to take over the throne.
The Lakers’ legend told Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson that during a Team USA practice in 1991, the roster broke into two teams and played a scrimmage game.
Magic and Jordan were on opposite teams.
The game started off even. When one team scored, the other would come right back with a bucket of their own.
But when Magic’s team started to get a lead, he decided he wanted to get a little cocky with Jordan. So, he talked some smack.
He told Jordan, “Michael, if you don’t turn into Air Jordan, we’re gonna blow y’all out.”
He admitted that that was a big mistake. His words lit a fire under Jordan’s ass and he went off on his opponents.
Jordan made four consecutive 3-pointers to catch up. And with his final play, he finished a fastbreak with a vicious 360 dunk that set an exclamation point, telling everybody on the court that he was now the King.
After the game, Magic said, Jordan came into the locker room, with a cigar in his mouth and a drink in his hand, looked at the old timers (Magic and Bird) and told them, “I just want y’all to know -there’s a new sheriff in town.”
And this was the moment when the crown was handed over to Jordan.
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