Damian Lillard Left Amazed by Michael Jordan’s Single-Season Achievements

Nickeem Khan | 16/12/2024
Damian Lillard (L) and Michael Jordan (R)

Despite receiving abundant media coverage in recent times, Michael Jordan’s accomplishments continue to shock many even today. Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard is among the top 75 players in the league’s history, but even he was astounded by what Jordan was able to accomplish throughout the course of a single season.

Lillard took to Instagram to share a post highlighting a historic single-season accomplishment from the Bulls star. The post highlighted that MJ is the only player in the league’s history to win an MVP, a scoring title, a first-team All-Defense nomination, an NBA championship, and a Finals MVP in the same season.

Not only was he the only one to ever do it, but His Airness even achieved this incredible feat on four separate occasions. Lillard had only one word to describe MJ’s greatness, “Crazy.”

There is a reason why many consider Jordan to be the greatest player of all time. It’s accomplishments such as this, which set him apart from all the competition. He took pride in being the best player on both sides of the court. MJ is also one of the few players to win a league MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (in 1988).

Nowadays, there is a scarcity when it comes to stellar two-way perimeter players. Jordan’s heroics willed the Bulls to six championships in the 90s, which is the Bulls legend’s biggest claim to the GOAT debate.

The eight-time All-Star never had the opportunity to compete against Jordan, but the latter remains his definitive pick for the GOAT. Lillard ranks Jordan ahead of LeBron James despite actually playing against the latter throughout his 12-year career.

Lillard was in awe while in Jordan’s presence

The 2021-22 season marked the 75th anniversary of the league’s existence. At the 2022 All-Star game in Cleveland, the NBA honored the outstanding players who made the top-75 team. Out of the handful of current players, Lillard was chosen. Despite being in a room filled with the greatest players of the game, Jordan’s presence left him in awe.

It didn’t take long before Lillard realized that Jordan was far different from any other player in the room. As soon as the Bulls star walked in, a flurry of cameras followed snapping pictures. “He’s walking and there’s more camera on him by himself that it is on all of us,” Lillard said.


The respect everyone in the room had toward Jordan was unlike anything Lillard had ever seen before. That moment cemented the 6-foot-2 guard’s belief that Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.

Post Edited By: Satagni Sikder
Damian Lillard Michael Jordan

About the author

Nickeem Khan

Nickeem Khan is a Senior NBA Writer for The SportsRush from Toronto, Canada. He graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Media. Nickeem has over five years of experience in the sports media industry with hands-on experience as a journalist among other roles, including media accreditation for the CEBL, NBA G-League's Raptors 905, and CBC's coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. When he isn't writing articles, he serves as a member of the Toronto Raptors' Game Presentation Crew.

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