Today is the 42nd anniversary of the iconic 1982 NCAA tournament final that Michael Jordan and his North Carolina team won. That win pretty much birthed the athlete who went on to become arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. On the special occasion, NBA star Kyle Kuzma came across the footage of the game-winning shot that MJ hit in the last seconds of the game. Kuzma also reflected on how much the game has evolved over a period of time.
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In the clip, posted by Ballislife.com on X, Jordan can be seen hitting the game winning 16-foot jump shot with 15 seconds left on the clock. That was pretty much the end of the game as on the next possession, Georgetown’s Fred Brown made a wrong pass and the ball ended up with UNC’s James Worthy. The Tar Heels closed the game 63-62 and Jordan, who went on to achieve everything in basketball won his NCAA trophy.
This event kickstarted a basketball journey like no other and even the great man believes in it. He said, “That was the birth of Michael Jordan. Before that, I was Mike Jordan.”
Kuzma was really touched by the evolution this game has gone through and he showed his appreciation for it with a heartfelt post. He quoted the post and wrote, “Look how far our game has come! So beautiful.”
The NBA star isn’t the only one who was amazed by the rare footage as several fans also had similar things to say.
Fans join Kyle Kuzma in celebrating the 1982 NCAA’s anniversary
There’s always this debate about the different eras of basketball and fans wonder how a player from one generation would perform in another. One fan said that Kuzma would be unstoppable on the court if he played at the time.
One fan who claimed to have watched the game live made a statement that wouldn’t usually be included in the highlights.
A criticism that has almost become a trend in the sport recently is that fans often say that there is little to no defense in the game today. A fan under Kuzma’s post said the same thing, highlighting how the quality has gone downhill.
It’s almost impossible to have only positive responses for anything on social media and Kuzma’s post is no exception.
Another fan said that Kuzma is a positive light in the generation that is otherwise full of people who only like to complain about things and tear down other people.
It’s truly remarkable how the game has progressed in the last three-four decades. A lot of credit in this evolution goes to the young boy who hit the game winning shot in 1982 against the Georgetown Hoyas.
