Michael Jordan was termed a force of nature. When he walked into a place, everyone would stop and stare at him in awe. He was the center of attention and carried an aura of greatness on his shoulders. Flocks of people rushed behind him, always. Even to this date, the frenzy around Jordan remains the same. But have you wondered what it would be like if Jordan was in a room with other NBA “Big Dogs”? Well, the 2003 NBA All-Star game holds the answer to this question.
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Michael Jordan played his last NBA All-Star game in 2003. Fitting to the name All-Star, this game involved the likes of Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Steve Nash, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and more. These players were in their prime. Jordan had played against these stars and bossed them on the court. Before the All-Star game, for one last time, Jordan showed them who the boss really was.
Michael Jordan in his last All-Star game
Many of those in the All-Star team rosters have spoken time and again about that game. Jermaine O’Neal, who was on the Eastern Conference All-Star team with Michael Jordan, spoke about the game on the ‘Players’ Tribune’ podcast. O’Neal stated he was overwhelmed as he was in the presence of all the “OGs”. He focused on trying to create own his “swagger.” Amidst all this, he recollects the moment Jordan entered the locker room.
He claimed that one knew when MJ making his way down to the locker room. O’Neal stated that everyone could hear the cameras and crowd following Jordan. He said, “All of us in there sitting, we feel like we big dogs too. When MJ walk in there, it’s quiet.”
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Former NBA players and the hosts of the podcast, Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles chimed in with their opinion. They stated that when Jordan walked into that room the big dogs turned into little puppies. To this, O’Neal said, “Straight up.”
Jordan’s last NBA All-Star game was an emotional affair. During the halftime show, he was seen tearing up when old videos of his tenure were being played on the big screen. He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and became the all-time leading scorer in the All-Star game history. However, Jordan’s eastern conference team lost in a 155-145 game.
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