Michael Jordan went to judge a Slam Dunk Contest in Columbia but ended up showing off his own skills in the event with Jo Jo English.
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Though Michael Jordan’s dunks aren’t as famous as Dr. J’s or Vice Carter’s, he had some high-flying breathtaking dunks which are frozen in history books of the NBA as few of the best ever.
Since coming into the league in 1984, the future Chicago Bulls legend started a rivalry with Dominique Wilkins who was also a tremendous leaper. Both of them participated in multiple dunk contests in the 80s and came up with 2 titles each.
In a Nike exhibition match in Italy in 1985, Jordan dunked the ball so hard that it shattered the glass backboard. Nobody had seen something of that nature until Shaquille O’Neal came into the league later, but Mike with that lean frame doing it had everyone in disbelief.
In 1985 Michael Jordan participated in an exhibition game in Italy and did this… It gave birth to the legendary “Shattered Backboard” Air Jordan 1 💯 pic.twitter.com/lhf6JthzQ0
— FIBA (@FIBA) March 31, 2020
There was another high-flying instance that left people in shock of what MJ couldn’t do when he sets his eyes on it.
Michael Jordan dunked from the free-throw line wearing jeans
There are questions and jokes about that dunk, like, whether the Italians make their backboards so strong to withstand the strength of much more skilled and athletic NBA players. But there’s another dunk which was as rare as any other dunk in the game, ever. And as tremendous as it is, it has less doubters.
According to reports, Jordan was at a Slam Dunk Contest in Columbia in 1988 to judge a youth basketball exhibit by George Glymph. Director Glymph convinced Jordan to against Jo Jo English in a dunking contest in the end.
The Bulls star wasn’t suited up for the call, so he borrowed shoes from another student and ended up playing in pants/track pants that look like blue jeans.
Just a casual Michael Jordan free throw line dunk wearing jeans.
Happy Birthday 🐐. pic.twitter.com/AAPw4jKpk5
— Goat Jordan (@GOATJordan_23) February 17, 2022
Again, even if they weren’t really jeans, Jordan making those dunks without warm-ups or proper gears shows us he could do it whatever he wants to, whenever he wants to and there’s no stopping him.