?I Thought I Had Won the Championship?: A Pickup Game With Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen Had Future NBA Hall of Famer ?Gassed? in 1995

In the latest episode of the Knuckleheads Podcast, a Hall of Famer joined the panel to talk about his basketball journey. He vividly remembered his 1995 pickup game with the iconic players from Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. “I thought I had won the Championships, y’all. I was so gassed!” said the Hall of Famer.

Kevin Garnett was widely considered the player who started the trend of transitioning from high school to basketball. He recalled the pickup against Michael Jordan to reference the moment as a turning page in his life.

Read More: Kevin Garnett: ?I?m Playing Against Scottie Pippen. After That Game, Isiah Thomas Pulled Me to the Side. You See What You Just Did? You Can Play in the League?

Jordan had been MIA for 21 months before returning to the Bulls franchise in March 1995. He played the McDonald’s All-American game a month later. Michael Jordan had actually quit basketball at the time to play in minor league baseball.

Garnett said that his friend had tempted him to sneak into the Bulls‘ practice. They were excited at the thought of being in the same vicinity as Michael Jordan. Both of them ended up on the court where they witnessed both Jordan and Scottie Pippen shooting hoops. Kevin Garnett said he studied them the best he could.

When the security guard discovered him, Garnett attempted to run but ended up running into Scottie Pippen. He chided Garnett saying that he was too young to be here. But Pippen was also not wasting time. He launched a big three in front of Garnett.

A pickup against Michael Jordan propelled Garnett’s career

Kevin Garnett recalled how his natural reflexes kicked in as he whistled for the ball. Michael Jordan then threw the ball towards Garnett who took two dribbles and went for a dunk!

This was such a memorable incident that the Hall of Famer even dedicated a whole chapter to this in his autobiography, ‘KG: A to Z: An Uncensored Encyclopedia of Life, Basketball, and Everything in Between‘.

He knew that 1995 was crucial not just because he played against the greats but because it also convinced him, that he could take a leap from high school to basketball.

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Garnett went on to become one of the most committed players on the court. He played for many teams in his career and also won a championship in 2008 with the Boston Celtics.?Very few players, however, can boast that both Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen had a role to play in their careers.