Not all aspiring NBA players get to have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play with the great Michael Jordan. That’s the reason why former NBA backup wing Casey Jacobsen feels fortunate as he didn’t only have an unforgettable scrimmage game with the six-time NBA champion, but he also got to share the experience in detail in a special piece for Slam.
According to Jacobsen, it was the summer of 2000, and he had just completed his freshman year at Stanford University when he was invited to be a coach/counselor at the Michael Jordan Flight School that took place in Santa Barbara. As an avid MJ fan, Jacobsen grabbed the opportunity and wound up playing a five-on-five pickup game against Jordan.
To this day, Casey still vividly recalls how MJ delivered an epic trash-talk on him during the one and only play where he guarded the GOAT.
“Even though it was for only one play, I was guarding Michael Jordan,” Jacobsen wrote. “My next thought to myself was, ‘Don’t embarrass yourself in front of your idol!’ MJ didn’t have the ball at the time, but I knew that it was only a matter of time before he would. He cut to the top of the key at the three-point line and received a pass from Darius Miles.
“This was it! My moment. It was me versus him, one-on-one. Jordan squared me up to the basket, palming the ball in one hand like he always did (he has HUGE hands). He then stopped for a second and looked at me, saying: ‘You know… No white boy has ever been able to stop me before,'” Casey added.
Jacobsen couldn’t believe it happened
Jacobsen was a college player at the time. Needless to say, he never thought that he would share such a surreal moment with Jordan.
“I couldn’t believe it. MJ was talking trash to me!” he continued. “I fought off a smile, and before I could muster another thought, he had taken a dribble to his left and pulled up for a jump shot. I did all I could to stay in front of him and put a hand in his face. Luckily, he missed the shot.”
Looking back, Jacobsen still remembers being in awe after his interaction with the Chicago Bulls legend.
“I ran down the court asking myself if that encounter really happened. It did, and it was awesome,” Jacobsen reflected.
What about Larry Bird?
Despite what MJ told Casey, a white player did use to torch “His Airness,” especially early on in his career.
Larry Bird beat Jordan in all of their playoff duels in the NBA. The two faced each other 34 times; 28 in the regular season and six in the postseason. The legendary forward holds a lopsided winning record of 23-11 against MJ.
That said, it would’ve been more epic if Jacobsen hit back at MJ and just simply uttered “Bird.” There’s no telling what Jordan would’ve done to him afterward, but it’s safe to say that it would’ve been ugly for the Stanford product.