LeBron James celebrated his 40th birthday last December, while six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan will turn 62 next month.
Jordan appeared in 82 games with the Washington Wizards during the 2002-03 season, which turned out to be his final year in the NBA. Meanwhile, James was the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Although the basketball icons didn’t get the chance to go head-to-head during an NBA game, James recently reflected on a time he played a pickup game with Jordan.
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(L-R) LeBron James and Michael Jordan attend the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 20, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
James told brothers Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce that he was a 16-year-old high school basketball star when he met Jordan in Chicago for the pickup game.
“I was on the court with Michael Jordan, Antoine Walker, Penny Hardaway, Ron Artest, Michael Finley, all these guys,” James said during a recent appearance about the Kelce brothers; “New Heights” Podcast.
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Travis, who is preparing to compete against the Houston Texans in the divisional round this weekend, finally asked James who was responsible for guarding him during the game.
“No one. I was helpless,” James replied confidently.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James makes a dunk during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, April 27, 2024 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
James admitted that he initially experienced some nerves when he realized he had the opportunity to face an NBA great.
“When I finally came out, I thought, ‘I’m breaking a–‘. I was nervous. I was really nervous about being there with MJ and the rest of those guys, but I thought, ‘Oh, I’m about to go crazy.’ And I did. “James added.
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James celebrates a three-pointer against the Toronto Raptors during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Metta Sandiford-Artest, also known as Ron Artest and Metta World Peace, last appeared in an NBA game in 2017, but he was 20 years old when the aforementioned selection game took place. He recalled the moment during a May 2024 appearance on Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George’s “P with Paul George Podcast.”
“Everyone knew who he was. He was already famous. He was bigger than all of us in the gym,” Artest said. “So he came to the gym and I said, ‘Okay, cool, I want to see what he’s got.’
“And he’s cooking. He’s 15 or 16. He posts, he gets to the basket. And I’m like, ‘This is going to be a big deal.'”
Artest added that the situation left him motivated.
“He really motivated me. When I saw that, it motivated me. I was like, ‘I have to go to work.’ He comes to the league cooking. I wasn’t like that when I was 15.”
James is a four-time NBA champion, four-time league MVP and 20-time NBA All-Star. In his 22nd season in the league, he remains one of the best players in the NBA and is averaging 23.7 points per game this season.
The Lakers were inactive Wednesday night and will return to action Thursday night when they host the Miami Heat.
