A lot of NBA fans consider Michael Jordan to be the greatest basketball player of all time. But was he so great in his prime that he could’ve beaten 2 players at once? Derrick White doesn’t seem to think so. He even thinks that he and his Average Joe podcast host could’ve taken down the GOAT in a game of 2 versus 1.
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It wasn’t that White was saying anything crazy. After all, a 2-on-1 basketball game is completely unfair. 99 times out of 100, the pair of teammates is going to defeat the solo challenger.
But it was the way White said he and his co-host, Alex Welsh, could take down Jordan in a pickup game. He was super confident, while joking that people were disrespecting his podcast partner, who was also his former college teammate.
“I feel like they’re disrespecting you, Welsh,” White said on his White Noise Podcast. “I mean, 2 versus 1? I think we would beat anybody 2 versus 1.”
Welsh then shared the strategy that he believes the two would employ in the hypothetical matchup. He would have White guarding Jordan on the outside, while he would roam down low, contesting on layups and grabbing rebounds. It sounded like he had given it a lot of thought.
White didn’t think too much about it, though. He even roasted his dad in the process.
“If it was like Jordan and like my dad, probably still us,” White joked.
Later on, the Celtics‘ PG concluded that it would be impossible for Jordan to compete in a match against him and Welsh.
“It’s impossible for him to guard us… We’re winning. 2 versus 1 is a crazy question,” he said.
It is indeed a crazy question. But you start to ask crazy questions when you rewatch old highlights of Jordan. The way he would single-handedly take over games and dominate had fans believing wild things about his ability.
However, saying MJ would take down a current NBA player and a former college player is pushing it. Maybe he would be able to defeat average rec league players who can’t shoot. But White is a lethal three-point shooter and an underrated player as a whole. In fact, White’s journey from an undrafted rookie to an NBA champion is an insporation to a lot of people, including LeBron James.
All in all, it was just a silly fan question that was asked during his show. And White treated it as such. He didn’t give it too much thought and simply answered with the first response that came to his mind. Sometimes, you don’t need to think about something too hard. Just speak your mind and move on. It’s not like this hypothetical matchup could actually ever occur. But it’s fun to think about.
