Michael Jordan is one of the very few players in the history of sports to come out of retirement multiple times. The second time he did so isn’t looked upon in the fondest of ways even by his own fans today. However, at 38 years old and as part of the Washington Wizards for the 2001-02 season, he averaged an impressive 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.
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During that campaign, the Bulls legend faced off against Paul Pierce‘s Boston Celtics, where a rookie Joe Johnson took the floor as a starter. He revealed during his time on ‘All the Smoke’, he was forced to guard the GOAT for almost the whole game. And worse yet, he had to keep Paul Pierce calm the whole time while he did it.
The matchup in question took place on November 7th, 2001. At the time, Jordan had just come out of a 3-year retirement. So, in many ways, he was still getting back to being fit. However, ever sure of himself, he never stopped talking smack to the Celtics’ best player, Pierce. With ‘The Truth’ coming right back with insults of his own, Joe Johnson only grew more worried about MJ potentially embarrassing him during the game. Unfortunately for him, Michael would end the game with 32 points.
Joe Johnson explains how it was to guard Michael Jordan in his rookie season
During his time in the NBA, Joe Johnson was a very good two-way player who played with the utmost confidence. However, even by his standards, facing Michael Jordan during his rookie year is unlikely to have been a calming experience.
The former Celtics man recently got on the All the Smoke podcast with fellow ex-NBA players and hosts Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes. During his time there, he explained his surreal experience in guarding Jordan during his very first season in the league. Here is what he said, as seen in the tweet by ‘SHOWtime Basketball‘.
“My rookie year was MJ’s first year back in the NBA, with the Wizards. We played against them in the fourth game of the season… And I got to guard MJ (Michael Jordan). Paul Pierce was like ‘Man, I’mma get him in the fourth quarter, I need you to get him in the first three’.
First off, (Antoine Walker) and MJ talking stuff to each other on the tip. MJ tells Paul (Pierce), ‘I come all the way back to the NBA just to get a pickup game with you!’… But I’m like ‘Y’all gotta chill! I’m the one who got to guard (Michael Jordan)!'”
Imagine guarding MJ as a rookie. 🤣
Joe Johnson tells us his Welcome To The NBA moment from episode 72 of #AllTheSmoke.#ATSWelcomeToTheNBA pic.twitter.com/Nr1zB1NMhy
— SHOWTIME Basketball (@shobasketball) July 24, 2023
Joe Johnson ended the game with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals, along with 46.7% shooting from the field, helping the Celtics to get a big win. Paul Pierce did his part too, scoring 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. However, he shot just 37.5% from the field.
Alongside 32 points, Michael Jordan had 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, while shooting a solid 46.2% from the field.
It was a good contest all around, where the Celtics were able to leave with a 95-104 victory, much to the dismay of the GOAT of basketball.
Pierce once commented on facing off against a ’40-year-old’ Jordan
Paul Pierce has never been quick to give someone apart from himself any credit. However, when he was asked about it while speaking to ESPN, here is what he had to say on the matter.
“I had a chance to play against Michael Jordan but it was when he had the Wizards uniform on so it wasn’t quite prime Michael Jordan, it was 40-year-old Michael Jordan. I remember he still was phenomenal athlete. He still had great footwork and he actually gave me about 30 points. It was like my 3rd year in the league and he’s still one of the probably one of the top ten athletes in the game.”
Even during his older years, if he was spoken smack to, Michael Jordan could humiliate anyone he faced. These stories will always live on as proof of that.
