Paul Pierce Still Can?t Believe the Time He Rejected Michael Jordan

At the age of 40, Michael Jordan remained an exceptional player. Mike’s return to the league in 2001 demonstrated his enduring fierceness. However, there was another player making his mark at that time. Between 2002 – 2006, The Truth remained a perennial All-Star. During that period, Paul Pierce also had a chance to outshine His Airness. However, he required the aide of a certain rookie when it came to facing MJ.

The Boston Celtics legend highlighted his 22-year-old move against the 6-time NBA champion while expressing his astonishment.

Paul Pierce recalls a successful game against Michael Jordan

Many of Jordan’s fans expressed their disappointment regarding his stint with the Washington Wizards. While he may not have shown the same level of greatness as he did during his prime with the Chicago Bulls, Mike still demonstrated his indisputable talent.

During the 2001-02 season, Jordan maintained impressive averages of 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists while playing for the Wizards. Simultaneously, Paul Pierce was lighting up the East with averages of 26.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals.

Recently, a specific moment from that particular season, where Pierce successfully blocked Jordan’s shot, has gained attention on X. The 2008 Finals MVP himself expressed his disbelief at his game and reshared the post showcasing this remarkable play.

Watch This Story ? Mother of 3 Kids, Stephen Curry?s Wife Ayesha Welcomes Newest Addition to Curry Family

The post was captioned, “#otd?in 2001: @paulpierce34 blocks Michael Jordan in Wizards uniform, and rookie Joe Johnson finishes the play with a dunk on the other end.”

In the clip, we witness the moment when Joe Johnson takes possession of the ball and delivers a powerful dunk on the opposing team. This significant play was connected to a revelation he made during one of his appearances on the “All The Smoke” show.

During this interview, Iso Joe shared that a particular Celtics player had personally requested him to assume the responsibility of guarding the legend for the entire game.

Who asked Joe Johnson to guard MJ?

Defending the Black Cat must have been an overwhelmingly daunting task for the rookie Johnson. Nevertheless, it was Paul Pierce himself who entrusted the rookie with this responsibility.

Thankfully, Johnson was able to present a great performance. The Celtics managed to secure a 95-104 victory over the Wizards and Michael Jordan.

Pierce contributed significantly with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks, while Johnson delivered a stellar performance with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals.

READ MORE: “NBA Analyst Thrashes LeBron James’ Agent Rich Paul’s Comments on Pressure of ‘Following’ Michael Jordan: “He Had to Follow Magic (Johnson)”

It was undoubtedly a memorable and impressive game against the legendary Bulls player. Have you seen the clip? Let us know in the comments below.