Richard Jefferson Laughs At 40 Year Old Michael Jordan ‘Cooking’ Him And His Finals Bound Nets

Michael Jordan’s time with the Washington Wizards is often viewed as the epilogue to his legendary career. And although the final stretch didn’t yield championships, it did offer flashes of his greatness. One of the most unforgettable moments from that era has recently gone viral again, prompting a response from Richard Jefferson.

It was in 2003 that a 40-year-old Jordan dropped 43 against the New Jersey Nets, a team that had Jefferson in it. A basketball account on X (formerly Twitter) posted the highlights from that evening with the caption that stated Jordan had ‘torched’ the Nets.

Jordan had shot 18 of 30 from the field, and had 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and a block. A classic, dominant MJ performance in DC.

However, it didn’t take long for Jefferson, who was on that Nets squad, to catch wind of the post and jump into the conversation. RJ boasted about his team’s defense that year but wasn’t too proud to admit that Jordan had “cooked” them that evening.

Jefferson wrote, with a laughing emoji, “We had the #1 defense and went to the finals that year. Got cooked.”

It was a lighthearted yet telling acknowledgment of just how absurdly talented Jordan remained, even at an age when most players retire or quietly ride the bench into the sunset. The performance came during Jordan’s final NBA season—and it wasn’t just an empty stat line in a meaningless game. His Wizards were in the thick of a playoff push, though they ultimately fell short, finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference.

Jordan played 82 games that season, averaging more than 20 points. He was no longer the Chicago Bulls superstar who dominated the NBA, but for a 40-year-old, he was still absurdly good. That said, MJ’s knee was killing him, which ultimately led to his final retirement from the game after the 2002-03 season.

Richard Jefferson’s Nets handed Michael Jordan his worst loss

When Jordan came back from his second retirement in 2001, many thought he was only playing for the sake of promoting the Wizards franchise he owned minority stakes in. By that time, he was already the most accomplished and revered basketball player of all time, so there wasn’t much left for him to do.

However, he still had the same drive to win in him.

During an appearance on Kenny For Real, Jefferson bragged about handing Jordan his worst loss ever, when the Nets beat the Wizards 111-67 in 2002. By halftime, the Nets were up 40 points, and Jordan didn’t even bother playing in the second half. But that only set the stage for the next game.

“But the next time we played him a couple of weeks later, he made sure to get his arrest, and he came after us…He scored like half of their points, and there was nothing we could do to stop him,” Jefferson said.

Jordan may not have had the same physicality he once did during the twilight of his career, but he could still produce legendary moments thanks to his sheer skill and incredible conditioning that kept him at elite fitness levels.