How Michael Jordan Baffled Magic Johnson In Response To His Trash Talk

Michael Jordan is never shy of leaving an impression on the minds of others, be it his opponents or his own teammates. 

The six-time NBA champion is all about the game. He is never shy of challenges and is one to never back down. 

One of Jordan’s fiercest competitors on the court was Magic Johnson. Although the pair had their fair share of rivalries, they always remained thick friends off the court.

Johnson who is a five-time champion once appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and shared a classic story about Jordan.

Magic Johnson talks trash to Michael Jordan

The three-time MVP had something to share when Jimmy Kimmel asked about his trash-talking on the court.

“I never talked trash, but one time in my entire life… With Jordan. First-ever time talking trash,” he said.

Johnson recalls a time before the 1992 Olympics when the ‘Dream Team’ was at practice.

He states that the players were grouped up based on their team’s conference in the NBA. Johnson said they played for three days and it ended a tie every time. “This is the fourth day and we got on about 12-2 and I said I’m gonna really rattle his chain,” Johnson said. 

“So I went over there, tapped him on his shoulder and said, Hey man if you don’t turn into Air Jordan, we gonna blow you out today,” he added.

Magic Johnson also listed his three greatest shots ever. Johnson mentioned Julius Erving’s reverse layup and Jordan’s famous up and under left-handed layup against the Lakers in 1991.

Now speaking about the third shot, he says it is the greatest he has ever seen. 

“He came down on the right side, took off,” Johnson began. “David Robinson took off. And he [Jordan] said I’m gonna sit here in the air because I know David Robinson is going to go down. So David Robinson went to the ground, he [Jordan] 360’d, tongue moving and dunked it. 360 in a practice game”, Johnson exclaimed.

“Michael Jordan is so… Incredible,” Johnson said.

The Lakers legend recalls how the entire team reacted to Jordan hanging in the air for so long. “All of us was just stunned to see him hang in the air that long and 360.”

Much to the crowd’s applause, Johnson stood up and enacted the 360 Dunk made by Jordan, in a very comical and hilarious way.