Once more, a story involving Michael Jordan has emerged to captivate fans. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the legendary player’s initial encounter with a veteran from the Boston Celtics. During the 1980s, the Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers were the most dominant teams in the NBA. While Jordan was never intimidated by the NBA’s greatest players, there was undoubtedly one particular encounter that left a lasting impression.

Sports writer Curry Kirkpatrick has recounted the entire moment when these two basketball legends first crossed paths. Let?s listen to Kirkpatrick’s narrative.

Larry Bird made a strong impression on Michael Jordan

Before Michael Jordan even set foot in the league, rumors about his extraordinary talents had already begun to circulate. This was a period when the NBA was in the midst of a transition, and Jordan’s abilities stood out as unique and unparalleled. Many were keenly aware of the impending greatness that this legend was destined to bring to the court. Consequently, when Larry Bird encountered MJ during an exhibition game, he knew how to welcome him into the league. This exhibition game took place between the men’s teams bound for the Olympics. Kirkpatrick, who was in attendance at the game, shared his perspective, stating, “Early in the warmups, the ball bounced down from the college end of the floor to the pro end. Then Michael Jordan went down to chase it.?

He continued, ?The ball had to be picked up by Larry Bird. And Michael went up a few feet away and held out his hands, and Bird took the ball and fired it back down the court over Jordan’s head as if to say, ?You’re not only not getting this ball, I don’t give a damn who you are.?

Even though Jordan’s college team managed to secure victories in all eight games of the series, Bird’s gesture appeared to leave a lasting impression. Jordan later revealed how the acknowledgment of his game by the Celtics legend held significant importance for him. Being the competitive player he was, the young legend eventually earned the respect of the veteran in return.

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Did Larry Bird call Michael Jordan ?God??

His Airness once shared that he wasn’t afraid of the basketball greats on the court. But their off-court personas could be quite intimidating. As he confessed the above truth, he also shared that he was confident in his game. We saw that in the exhibition game, and we saw it again in the playoffs of 1986. During Game 2 of the Eastern Conference, when facing the formidable Celtics, Jordan scored an astounding 63 points. Following this, Bird appreciated the 6x champion. In a conversation with the Boston Globe, he remarked, ?I would never have called him the greatest player I?d ever seen if I didn?t mean it,? Bird told The Boston Globe. ?It?s just God disguised as Michael Jordan.? While the Celtics may have won the game, Jordan’s extraordinary performance earned him Larry Bird’s recognition.

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