Nobody would believe it if someone said an investment banker beat Michael Jordan in a 1v1 game. However unbelievable it may sound, this is very much a fact. Michael Jordan was beaten by a $7,890,000 worth investment banker just a year before his retirement in 2002. Popular YouTuber Frank Michael Smith helped resurface this moment caught on tape as he broke down the incident in an elaborate thread on Twitter.
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Despite nearing his 40s, Michael Jordan, during his final years playing for the Washington Wizards, was in his finest shape. He was still a master of his craft, averaging 20 points per game and making it to the All-Star team for all the years he played. Losing a 1-on-1 game to an investment banker was definitely a shocker for his fans worldwide, who realized the hidden potential that lie beyond the world of organized sports and leagues.
Michael Jordan was once humiliated by an investment banker in a 1-v-1 game
Michael Jordan’s 1-v-1 loss to 45-year-old CEO John Rogers was one of the most humiliating losses for the Bulls legend. A thread of tweets posted by YouTuber Frank Michael Smith chronicled this historic event, which was luckily documented on tape. If there were no video evidence for the same, no one would ever believe this instance to have taken place.
This Investment Banker is the only man to play a filmed game of 1v1 with the GOAT…AND WIN…
Here’s The Story: pic.twitter.com/nq2aFuEtZ2
— Frank Michael Smith (@frankmikesmith) July 23, 2023
John Rogers was somewhat of a baller, having played college level for Princeton in the ’70s. However, the 45-year-old CEO of Aerial Capital chose a rather conventional field to use his talents in dominating the market. As an investment banker, Rogers made several powerful connections, which led him to one of MJ’s camps in 2003.
While Michael Jordan was annihilating the young campers in a game to 3, he seemingly wasn’t ready to witness Rogers’ talents. Taunting John with his usual trash talk, Jordan said:
“Don’t be mad at me. I’m just too good for you.”
That’s precisely when Rogers displayed his incredible game and shot two straight layups against His Airness.
Jordan was seemingly agitated for being 2-0 down against a novice player. Continuing his trash talk, MJ tied 2-2 against Rogers with two straight throws. However, a rare miss from Jordan would come back biting his way. Rogers stepped up his game and spun a tough left-handed lay-up, bringing the score 3-2. The great Michael Jordan was beaten, probably for the first time caught on tape, in a 1-v-1 competition against an ordinary banker.
Jordan admitted his brother Larry was better than him in basketball
This was the first time Michael Jordan admitted to being humbled in a 1-v-1 game. Interestingly, it was unexpected for an ordinary business executive rather than an NBA All-Star to beat him. Perhaps, John Rogers would have been the next big superstar, only if he had been drafted into the NBA when he was eligible.
Jordan had previously admitted that his elder brother Larry was much more talented than him in basketball. Larry Jordan was a mere 5’8″ compared to Michael’s 6’4″ height and had an incredible 44-inch vertical as a player.
During his junior year, Larry was performing the best out of the Jordan brothers, which MJ and his father, James Jordan, unanimously agreed upon. However, Michael’s tremendous growth spurt from 5’9″ to 6’4″ in under a year propelled him to glory. Soon after, he went from playing JV to being an All-American in under two years. If only Larry had a couple more inches to his height, the world would have seen the Jordan brothers together dominate the NBA for decades.
