Michael Jordan’s relationship with ankle-breaker artists tends to be as shaky as His Airness was when a rookie Allen Iverson crossed him up. But Jamal Crawford survived showing up the Black Cat and have a strong friendship with his mentor. Crawford’s so inside the Jordan inner circle, the Bulls legend gladly fulfills his wishes even when they’re said as a joke. One such casual wish from Jamal Crawford got him a meeting with an artist he long admired and another lasting friendship.

During his appearance on Podcast P, the former TNT analyst told Paul George, “It’s crazy because imagine this, you get so tight with Michael Jordan, that you like, ‘MJ, I want to meet Jay-Z.’ He’s like, ‘okay'” 

Before Jay-Z and Beyonce were sitting courtside at Crawford’s games and the crossover specialist was on his team for the infamous ‘Blackout Game,’ it was Michael Jordan who introduced them. Crawford began his career with the Chicago Bulls in 2000 just before Jordan went to Washington. In the brief time they overlapped in Chicago, MJ took him under his wing and their friendship lasted for decades. In a rare moment of Jordan pulling a personal favor for a teammate, he staged something like a little kid’s birthday surprise for Crawford.

After Crawford went to the Knicks, he was sidelined with a torn ACL. While recuperating William Wesley – better known as World Wide Wes, the Knicks Executive Vice President, and close confidante of Jordan – visited him. Crawford makes it sound to George that Wes was not in his regular car. He stood outside it, chatting to Crawford. “When I get to West about two feet from him, the window rolls down and it’s Jay.”

Crawford, about six seasons into his career had the typical reaction at a celebrity sighting. “I said, ‘oh s–t!’… That caught me off guard.” Says the guy who asked the Michael Jordan to introduce him to Jay-Z.

He must’ve calmed down and had a decent interaction after that because it became a norm for the Carters to sit courtside at Jamal’s summer pickup games with Jordan. It was, as Crawford told George, “just ridiculous,” that the once eighth overall draft pick of the Bulls who struggled with his shooting became a celebrity draw.

Jamal Crawford could’ve wound up on Michael Jordan’s bad side

Allen Iverson was a rookie when he crossed up Michael Jordan. Jamal Crawford wasn’t even in the league when he did that. His first encounter with the 6x champ was in the pre-draft process of 2000.

“The first time we played against each other, different teams. I think our team won and I saw how mad he was. Pissed off! And he went sat in a corner. He reacted as if he lost a game 7. Dude you’re almost 40 years old?“ Crawford recalled recently.

MJ {jokingly) ripped into Iverson for the humiliation years later. Crawford earned a lifelong friendship. The 6MOTY gets perks like meeting Jordan’s famous friends.

Funnily enough, Crawford had a Jay-Z connection before they met. He was signed with Reebok which had the Jay-Z sneaker, S. Carter. After they met, the Roc Nation mogul gifted Crawford and Jalen Rose the same sneakers. And that’s how being on Michael Jordan’s good side pays off.