“Michael Jordan is smoking a big a** cigar before his last All-Star Game with his feet kicked up”: When Allen Iverson walked into the coach’s office to find the ‘GOAT’ relaxing

Allen Iverson walked in on Michael Jordan smoking a cigar before his last ever All-Star Game in the coach’s office with his feet kicked up. 

There is no question that when it comes to the hierarchical positioning of legends that have played in the NBA, Michael Jordan is in the uppermost echelon all by himself. widely considered to be the greatest player of all time, MJ was a superstar amongst superstars and it showed with how many fans flocked the stadiums he played at each night. 

So, it would make sense that Michael Jordan retiring from the sport altogether would be a spectacle like no other. The 6x champ retired thrice in his career however, his first two absences from the NBA came after he had won the NBA Finals with the Chicago Bulls in 1993 and 1998. it wasn’t known at the time of those Game 6s that Jordan would step away from the game.

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The 2002-03 season was different as it was widely speculated and later confirmed by the Washington Wizards star that he would call it a career at the end of the season. 

Allen Iverson’s encounter with Michael Jordan before the 2003 All-Star Game. 

The 2003 NBA All-Star Game was all about Michael Jordan from start to finish. It was centered around honoring the Bulls legend and Allen Iverson had the same idea in mind. So, before tip-off, AI would enter the arena decked out in an MJ throwback uniform and a Bulls cap. Unfortunately, he could not find Jordan anywhere in the locker rooms. 

Iverson tells the ‘Player’s Tribune’ that after trying several locations within the arena, he finally found Michael Jordan all alone in the coach’s office.

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“It’s Mike, and he’s got his uniform on. He’s on one of those reclining desk chairs, leaning back in that thing like he doesn’t have a care in the world. In the world. Got his feet kicked up like he’s on some beach. To top it off, he’s smoking one of those big a** Mike cigars. He just looks at me- looks over at my fit- and smiles.” 

Michael Jordan would end up scoring a respectable 20 points on a ridiculous 27 shots while Allen Iverson led the way by dropping 35 points, two shy from matching Kevin Garnett’s 37.