“I’m confident”: When Michael Jordan’s idol David Thompson claimed he could beat The GOAT in a one-on-one matchup

Nithin Joseph | 19/11/2022
"I'm confident": When Michael Jordan's idol David Thompson claimed he could beat The GOAT in a one-on-one matchup

In 1984, the GOAT was drafted into the NBA with the third overall pick. Michael Jordan was and still is considered the greatest to ever do it.

With six championships, multiple MVPs, and numerous other awards under his belt, Jordan revolutionized basketball. However, it  his accolades but his skills that wowed the world.

He was so good with the ball in his hand that he was practically unbeatable. Although, another Hall of Famer, David Thompson believed he could beat him one-on-one.

Also Read: 6ft 10’ Kevin Durant Equals Michael Jordan For Most 25-point Games to Start an NBA season, Still 64 Games Behind Another Legend

Hall of Famer David Thompson once stated he could beat Michael Jordan one-on-one

In 2009, Michael Jordan was introduced to the Hall of Fame by one of his childhood heroes. The Skywalker, David Thompson was an idol to many NBA Superstars.

Being a smaller player, the legendary guard was known for his insane leaping ability and overall skill. In fact, Thompson was so confident in his ability that in 2013, he claimed he could beat not just MJ, but Kobe Bryant and LeBron James as well in a one-on-one in their primes.

“I’m confident just like they are. We all would think we would win. I’m the same way. I was really good at one-on-one. That was my strong suit. Anytime you can score 73 points in a ballgame, you got to have some good one-on-one skills.”


A bold claim to say the least from Skywalker. To be fair to him, he was a scoring machine and inspired many of the greats, perhaps he could take on the GOAT, the Mamba, and the King and beat them one-on-one.

Both MJ and his idol David Thompson attended college in North Carolina

The similarities between Thompson and Jordan are uncanny. Both men played the shooting guard position and had insane verticals, as well as the ability to play one-on-one. It gets even crazier when you realize both of them attended college in North Carolina.

Albeit David Thompson played for the North Carolina Wolfpack, and MJ played for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Two completely different colleges, but both with players who hungered for victory.

Also Read: “Michael Jordan Killed Me At Footlocker!”: Shaquille O’Neal’s Frustrations With $5 Billion Brand Led Him To Walmart

 

Post Edited By: Amulya Shekhar
David Thompson Michael Jordan

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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