Bill Bellamy is plugged into the world of professional basketball. The famed actor and comedian is the cousin of Shaquille O’Neal and was famously good friends with Michael Jordan. The Def Comedy legend even once got to ball alongside His Airness, but sadly it did not go very well for him.
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There’s always that divide when a non-athlete shares the court with guys who do this professionally. It shows the level of drop-off between an amateur and a pro. Bellamy shared his story during his recent appearance on the 7PM In Brooklyn podcast with Carmelo Anthony.
Around that time, Jordan was filming Space Jam and was technically retired from the league. But rumors had started swirling that he was preparing to make his return. Regardless, Bellamy recalled running into MJ during his Space Jam shoot schedule and how he got invited to play one day on set.
“He’s like, ‘Yo man come to the run. We do a little run in the afternoon. What’s your game like?’ I’m like, ‘I’m solid.’ Man I get over there. Tobey Bailey, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd. Damn. The level of ballplayers was really on that level,” stated Bellamy.
That’s an intimidating lineup of guys, considering the comedian expected it to be just some light scrimmaging. Still, Bellamy got to live a dream that not many men have: playing ball on the same hardwood as Jordan.
“I’m on the court with Mike, and it just dawned on me, that I’m on the court with Mike. He threw the ball to me, NBA players throw a chest pass, it’s like a baseball,” he recalled with a smile.
As the game went on, Bellamy revealed that he made a few buckets. But that’s only because they were joking around. He found out moments later that they’re on autopilot.
“I’m thinking they going full steam. They not. Y’all got that click, ‘Let’s go dog. Turn up bro!’ Everything start going fast, and they start flying, and they throw a chest pass full court. I said, ‘Hey time out Mike. I’m out. I can’t do it no more.'”
“It just went from regular playing around to OH MY GOD. That’s when I said, ‘Yo I’m a comedian,'” he added. His time in the shine had to come to an end. Jordan supported him being there, but when the boys turned to men it reminded him of his limitations.
Meanwhile, Jordan would actually come out of retirement and return to the league shortly after that to play for the Washington Wizards. One has to wonder if those runs were for fun or if His Airness was preparing his body for a return. Considering what we know about MJ’s competitive nature, it was most likely the latter.
In the end, Bellamy’s brief run with MJ wasn’t about scoring or keeping up. It was about witnessing firsthand just how different “great” really looks.
