Boxing and NBA World Left Nostalgic as Riddick Bowe Reminisces the Time Michael Jordan “Slapped a Piece of Greatness” Into Malik Monk

NBA legend Michael Jordan played his final NBA game as a professional against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 16, 2003. However, his love for the game brought him back to the game, but not as a player. Back in 2010, Jordan headed an ownership group that purchased the majority of the Charlotte Hornets’ shares. The team not only got Jordan as the full-time owner, but the players also had to deal with his anger as a former NBA player. As his playing record attests, he takes the game very seriously. In 2018, MJ slapped the then-second-year guard Malik Monk on the back of his head during a game and it quickly took the internet by storm. Recalling the incident, former world heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe shared the clip of the incident on his Instagram. 

One of the boxing greats of the 90s, Bowe, shared the clip and wrote in the caption, “He a Kentucky guard he was gonna be cold regardless.” Bowe’s post has since garnered attention from NBA and boxing fans, as they cluttered the comments section sharing their opinions. But what exactly happened that led MJ to smack Malik Monk?

A celebration that would have cost the Charlotte Hornets to lose 

During the game between Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons in 2018, Jeremy Lamb from the Hornets hit an impressive shot with just a few seconds left on the clock. As the shot was being reviewed, Lamb’s teammate Malik Monk went off the bench celebrating. This early celebration might have been seen as a technical foul, which would have allowed the Detroit Pistons to mount a comeback and possibly win the game. But fortunately, the Hornets prevailed, 108-107. However, Jordan gave Monk a swift smack on the back of the head for his naive action.

The video instantly went viral online. However, MJ later revealed, “It was like a big brother and little brother tap. No negative intent. Only love!” Even the young player defended his team owner and stated, “Big, big, big brother. But it was nothing. He was just playing.” 

Hornets coach James Borrego also claimed that it was nothing. Although the incident is now years old, it still garnered attention when the boxing great Riddick Bowe posted it again. What did his fans say about the post? 

A slap from Michael Jordan that turned Malik Monk into a beast 

After Monk left Charlotte Hornets, he then played for the Lakers in 2021-2022. Following that, he has been with the Sacramento Kings, with whom he inked a contract for $19 million in 2022. The Arkansas native took a sharp turn for the better after he departed from the Hornets. Only last year, Malik Monk also matched Ed Macauley’s record for the most consecutive free throws made without a miss in a playoff debut. Some credit does go to MJ, as he was being taught by arguably the greatest basketball player the world has ever seen. Reflecting on his recent performance, one fan wrote, “MJ slapped a piece of greatness into Monk.”

As it had been revealed that it was just a friendly and big brother slap from Michael Jordan, a fan wrote, “That’s that love tap from big bro.” Another Instagram user referred it to Muzan Kibutsuji, the famous character from the anime series Demon Slayer, and said, “Bro shared his power like Muzan.” 

Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant are without a doubt among the greatest athletes in NBA history. In addition to being exceptionally skilled players, they knew how to lead the team to success. Given their contribution to the sport, one fan commented, “Now monk a beast. Anybody jordan or kobe thaught is now a beast.” 

Meanwhile, another fan recounting the two taps by MJ, noted, “He turned like who slapped me…saw it was MJ then, Mike doubled down and slapped him again.” What do you think about the incident between Jordan and Monk? Let us know in the comments below.