Michael Jordan’s dunks might not be as widely celebrated as Dr. J’s free-throw line takeoff or Vince Carter’s rim-rattling slams, but make no mistake—MJ could soar. Ever since stepping into the league in 1984, he had a flair for putting on a show in dunk contests, securing back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988. Yet, in the middle of this dominance, a local high schooler managed to stun the basketball world by beating him in a dunk contest. How?

Back in the summer of 1988, Jordan took on a different role—this time as a judge for a slam dunk contest in South Carolina. The event featured seven dunkers, each looking to leave their mark, but one name stood out—Jo Jo English. A few years down the line, English would find himself alongside Jordan on the Chicago Bulls roster from 1992 to 1995. But on that day, he was just another young kid trying to impress his basketball idol.

At the time, English was still making a name for himself in the South Carolina basketball scene. Like any other ambitious teenager with hops, he entered local dunk contests, hoping to showcase his raw athleticism. Knowing he had a golden opportunity to leave a lasting impression on his idol, English went all in. He threw down a hammer dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy and followed it up with a smooth reverse jam. Every move was with confidence, and Jordan took notice. When it was time to score, the Bulls superstar didn’t hesitate—he awarded English the top marks, crowning him the winner of the contest.

But the night didn’t end there. Riding high on his victory, English decided to throw some playful trash talk MJ’s way. That’s when things took a wild turn. Not one to back down, Jordan, despite being in street clothes, challenged the young gun to a one-on-one dunk-off.

Now, imagine paying just $3 to witness the GOAT taking off from the free-throw line. Insane, right? You will be shocked to know what happened next!

At first, Michael Jordan had no plans to showcase his hops. But after some playful trash talk from the high school prospect, things took a turn. And we all know MJ, right? He, not the one to back down from a challenge, decided to teach the then-18-year-old a lesson. With no gear of his own, he borrowed sneakers from a fan in the crowd and stepped onto the court for an impromptu dunk battle against the young phenom. Unbelievable!

While old press reports claim MJ took the crown, English insists he got the better of him.

English reminisces dunking against MJ

Even decades later, Jo Jo English still remembers the moment like it was yesterday. The energy in the stadium, the roaring crowd, and most importantly, Michael Jordan going toe-to-toe with him in a dunk contest—while wearing street clothes. English had MJ on the ropes, thinking he might pull off the impossible. But just when it seemed like the young high schooler had a shot, Jordan unleashed his legendary free-throw line dunk, silencing any doubts about who the real king of the air was.

“Michael was wearing some dress shoes because he didn’t plan on coming out there to play,” English told Andscape in 2023. “So, he borrowed ‘White Cement’ [Air Jordan] 3s from a kid there named Terry Baker who wore a size 14.”

But English didn’t make it easy for him. “I was all nervous after he said, ‘You do one, young fella. And I’ll follow you.’ It was supposed to be like two or three dunks,” he recalled. English went first, pulling off a kiss-the-rim dunk. Jordan? He copied it. English then hit a rock-the-cradle. MJ did the same. With every move Jo Jo threw down, Jordan matched. Finally, English flipped the script—he told MJ to go first. That’s when His Airness stepped up and launched from just outside the block.

Seeing what was coming, English had one last trick up his sleeve. “So, I told one of my friends to come out and moved him further back,” he said. But when MJ soared from the free-throw line, the contest was over. “He wanted to keep on going. Because of how the crowd responded, he could feel that I was winning. He said, ‘C’mon, young fella.’ I said, ‘Nah, I’m good. This is history right now. I don’t want to mess it up.'”

For years, no footage existed to settle the debate—until recently. The long-lost tape finally surfaced, giving fans a chance to judge for themselves. So, who won? You be the judge.