Draymond GreenForward, Golden State Warriors

Michael Jordan & Penny Hardaway went AT each other in their first matchups #nba #basketball

21 Dec 2024 · 0 min

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In a brief conversational interview, Draymond Green asks a former opponent about his first matchup with Michael Jordan. The interviewee recounts that Jordan returned from retirement wearing jersey #45 and played with intense aggression. To counter Jordan, the interviewee took him straight to the post, aiming to intimidate him defensively. He notes the psychological impact of seeing Jordan in a different number, saying he didn’t even recognize the #45. In the subsequent playoff series, the interviewee’s team won a game thanks to a crucial steal by Nick Anderson, but Jordan switched back to his iconic #23 in the following game and led his team to victory. Draymond comments on how unusual it is that the NBA approved Jordan’s jersey number change.

What was your first matchup with MJ?
He came back wearing the 45, and he came back with a vengeance. First matchup, I had to let him know right away because he was that dude. I took him right to the post, did what I normally did. I was trying to put fear in him guarding me because I knew what he was going to try to do to me on the other end. When you saw Mike in 45, was you like, oh, he ain't in the 23? I didn't recognize the 45. You know, it's MJ, but it's 45. But man, we played them in the playoffs right after that, and man, Nick Anderson stole his ball, and we won the game off a steal. He came back the next game in the 23. 23 and beat us. I was like, oh, oh wow, he switched his jersey.
That's crazy. To even have the NBA approve that is crazy in itself, man.
It wasn't no rules like that. And that's MJ. Hey, that's savage. In mid-series, he changed his number.