LeBron James celebrated his 40th birthday last December, while six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan turns 62 next month.
Jordan appeared in 82 games with the Washington Wizards in the 2002–03 season, which turned out to be his last year in the NBA. Meanwhile, James was the top overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Although the basketball icons didn’t have the opportunity to go head-to-head during an NBA game, James recently reflected on a time when he played a pick-up game with Jordan.
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(L-R) LeBron James and Michael Jordan attend the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 20, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
James told brothers Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce that he was a 16-year-old high school basketball star when he met Jordan in Chicago at the pickup game.
“I was on the court with Michael Jordan, Antoine Walker, Penny Hardaway, Ron Artest, Michael Finley, all these guys,” James said during a recent appearance on the Kelce brothers; “New Heights” podcast.
LEBRON JAMES BREAKS MICHAEL JORDAN’S 30-POINT GAME RECORD WITH HIS 563.
Travis, who is preparing to compete against the Houston Texans in the divisional round this weekend, eventually asked James who was responsible for guarding him during the game.
“No one. I was off guard,” James replied confidently.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dunks during the second half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
James admitted he initially experienced some nerves when he realized he had the opportunity to battle an NBA great.
“When I finally got out there, I was like, ‘I’m going to hit one…’ I was nervous when I was out there with MJ and the rest of those guys, but I was going crazy. And I did,” added James.
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James celebrates a three-pointer against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Metta Sandiford-Artest, also known by Ron Artest and Metta World Peace, last appeared in an NBA game in 2017, but he was 20 years old at the time of the aforementioned pick-game. He recalled the moment during a May 2024 appearance on Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George’s “Podcast P with Paul George.”
“Everybody knew who he was. He was already famous. He was bigger than all of us in the gym,” Artest said. “So he comes into the gym and I’m like, ‘Okay, cool, I want to see what he’s got.
“And he’s cooking. He’s 15 or 16. Posting, getting to the basket. And I’m thinking, ‘This is going to be a huge problem.'”
Artest added that the situation left him motivated.
“He actually motivated me. When I saw that, it motivated me. I’m like, ‘I’m going to work.’ He comes in the league and cooks, I wasn’t like that at 15.
James is a four-time NBA champion, four-time league MVP and a 20-time NBA All-Star. In his 22nd season in the league, he continues to be one of the best players in the NBA, averaging 23.7 points per game this season.
The Lakers were off Wednesday night and return to action Thursday night when they host the Miami Heat.
