Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest player the NBA has ever seen. The head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, Tyronn Jamar Lue aka Ty Lue, once had the opportunity to share the same hardwood with Jordan back in 2001. And yes, we are talking about the Washington Wizards days. This was the time when Jordan was making his comeback from his retirement to show that he still had the fire inside him. But did you know that Jordan ended up helping Lue snag a $4 million paycheck with the Wizards? Let’s unpack how it all went down!

On a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show With Baron Davis, Tyronn Lue reflected on the thrill of being signed by none other than Michael Jordan. At the time, Jordan was part of the Wizards’ front office and gearing up for his iconic comeback. From 2001-02 to 2002-03, Lue and MJ shared the court as teammates, but Lue revealed a twist to the story.

He recalled, “That’s my biggest payday! They gave me two years, $4 million. … [Around that time] It was rumblings that MJ might come back, but you know MJ was part of the front office already… And then, when I did sign, MJ came back.”

Michael Jordan was already part of the Wizards’ front office when Tyronn Lue signed his $4 million deal with the team. For Lue, the offer was already a win, but things got even crazier when Jordan decided to step back onto the court for one last run. The thought of sharing a locker room with the six-time NBA champion left Lue in awe!

Reflecting on the moment, he said, “A guy you idolized and looked up to; if I could be part of MJ like, ‘Ain’t getting $4 million beat it!’, to which Baron Davis replied equally enthusiastically, “Yo, sign me up!”—a sentiment Lue agreed with wholeheartedly. “Yeah, I’m gone! … So that’s what happened.”

Before joining the Wizards, Tyronn Lue was part of the star-studded LA Lakers, sharing the court with legends like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Leaving a championship-caliber team like that might seem like a step-down. But landing on the Wizards and playing alongside Michael Jordan made it anything but that. 

Honestly, I envy Lue. His career path was straight-up golden during that era! And I’m not the only one who thinks so. The man himself summed it up perfectly on the show. “To have a chance to play with MJ like, ‘Come on, man!’ Like you go from Kobe and Shaq to MJ like, come on! You could have, you couldn’t ask; I could have retired after those two years of MJ. I could have retired there and been the happiest in the world! Nobody would ever think to be that blessed!” 

In those two seasons, Ty Lue has learned many things from Jordan and he has great respect for ‘His Airness’. But why is that? Let’s see!

Michael Jordan proved age couldn’t stop his brilliance even in the 40s

In the 2001-2002 season, Jordan carried the Wizards as their top scorer. He averaged 22.9 points in 60 games. And remember, he was already 39! The following season, Jordan played all 82 games for the 9th time in his career. He averaged 20 points, 3.8 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals.

One of Jordan’s best performances in his 40s came against the New Jersey Nets, the East conference champs that year. He dropped 43 points in 43 minutes. What a legend! Jordan’s farewell seasons were the stuff of dreams. To this day, he remains the only player to score over 40 points in his 40s and the only one to average 20 points at that age. 

And now, with LeBron James crossing into his 40s, the basketball world watches to see if Jordan’s legendary records will stand or if another chapter will be written. Either way, stories like these remind us why we love the game—where greatness knows no bounds, and every era adds its magic to NBA lore.

But Ty Lue didn’t just witness that magic—he lived it, breathed it, and reveled in it. Those moments, shared with legends like Michael Jordan, are etched forever in his story. And no one can ever take that away from him.