Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls icon, embodied the essence of true competitiveness. His drive was so intense that he was willing to take on a confident 21-year-old rookie who boldly claimed he could beat his Airness in a one-on-one matchup.
barking too much
According to former big man Chris Anstey, the rookie wingman is Corey Benjamin, a former standout at Oregon State University who was selected by the Bulls with the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft. This was the season after Jordan and the Bulls won the NBA championship in what was called “The Last Dance.”
Anstey recalled that the team started slowly and lost its first five games. But Benjamin worked tirelessly to get more playing time. He even said he could beat Jordan in a one-on-one game.
“We started the season 0-5 and Benjamin played very little time,” Anstey said. “Not only was he outspoken about his belief that he deserved more playing time, but he also said he could beat anyone in the world one-on-one, including Michael Jordan. Word got back to Jordan that a young kid was on the court The upper team has been talking nonsense.”
Jordan taught Che a lesson
Maybe Benjamin doesn’t know any better, or maybe he just wants to prove himself. But his words reached Jordan, who was enjoying retirement at the time. He accepted Benjamin’s challenge and invited him to the team’s training ground for a one-on-one match.
“We just got back from practice after a road trip and were walking Michael Jordan,” Anstey continued. “He had the basketball in his hand and walked straight up to Benjamin, who was shooting at the rim: ‘I hear you’ve been talking nonsense. You and me, let’s go.'”
It was a great experience for Benjamin to go up against a legend like Jordan, but it was clear that his aura wasn’t that popular. The 36-year-old Jordan easily outplayed the young rookie, holding him to 11 points and teaching him a lesson in respect and humility.