Former Washington Wizards power forward Popeye Jones was well aware that Michael Jordan is the GOAT. However, what “His Airness” did during his first preseason game with the Wizards was something Jones never would’ve imagined.
According to Popeye, they were on the way to the court when Jordan told them he’d score 20 in the opening quarter and rest. At first, the team thought it was just MJ being MJ until Jones and the rest of the squad witnessed it turn into reality.
“We were playing in one of the first preseason games we were playing [the] Miami [Heat], and we were in the tunnel getting ready to walk out. And again, it was a preseason game, and he [Michael Jordan] said, ‘I’m going to show you guys how to get 20 points in a quarter and sit down,'” Jones told Landon Buford of Heavy in 2020. “And at the end of one, he had 18. Then he went ahead and sat down. That was unique.”
MJ could facilitate like Magic and Stockton
Jones played the better part of his NBA career during prime Jordan’s reign in the 90s. Popeye thought he had already known what MJ could do on the court. However, he was proven wrong when “His Airness” showcased his playmaking skills during his first team practice sessions with the Wizards.
As Jones described it, Jordan’s passing game was like Magic Johnson’s and John Stockton’s.
“I think one of the first practices, because we know the type of scorer he was, we all know that,” Jones shared. “I didn’t know the kind of playmaker he was until he showed us during practice, he was shooting every time and scoring. Coach Doug Collins said, ‘Michael, you can’t shoot anymore.’ And then he looked like he was John Stockton or Magic Johnson with his passing and his vision, which really impressed me.”
MJ dropped 20 in one quarter against Grant Hill
Grant Hill could also attest to Jordan’s unbelievable game during his Wizards days. To this day, Duke alumnus still vividly recalls how MJ dropped 20 points on him in one quarter. It was the same as Jones’ story, and the only difference was that Jordan humiliated the star forward in a regular-season game, not preseason.
“He torched me in that first quarter; he literally gave me 20 points in the first quarter on the same play. He just ran the same play,” Hill remembered. “I could not guard him.”
Some still think Jordan’s run with the Wizards was an epic fail. However, Jones, Hill, and the other players who played against him and witnessed MJ still perform at a high level at the time might disagree.