Michael Jordan returned from his second NBA retirement to play for the Washington WIzards
Michael Jordanrecognized by many as the best basketball player of all time, became an icon in the world of sports not only for his talent on the court but also for his unwavering dedication to seeking to be an outstanding athlete. One of those who marked his work ethic was Kwame Brownformer partner of Your Majesty on the Washington Wizards.
The 42-year-old former player selected first in the 2001 NBA Draft gave little-known details about Jordan’s figure. The pivot of more than 2.10 meters went through various teams such as the Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Bobcats, Warriors and Philadelphia Sixers and never managed to meet expectations, but during his two years with the Wizards (2001-2003) he had the opportunity to share a dressing room with the historic number 23.
In a podcast episode Swish CulturesBrown revealed: “No, I’m not a fan of MJ. Listen, I have no reason to be. “That bastard slapped me on the back of the head one day.”said the former player who played his last season in the best basketball league in the world in 2013.
The story goes that upon his return to the NBA in 2001 after his second retirement after winning his sixth ring with the Chicago Bulls in the 97-8 season, Jordan maintained an extreme training routine that began before 6 in the morning, even if he had been playing poker all night. “That old black man kept getting up early to train at the age of 39, when he no longer had anything to prove to anyone”Brown commented.
Kwame Brown with the Lakers jersey (Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
“After gambling all night, that old guy was already in the gym at 5:45 a.m. lifting weights. “It was a machine.”said the former player did not go through college basketball and jumped directly to the NBA from high school.
And he added: “He never cheated in the game, neither when he went out, nor when he did what he did. The ‘Breakfast Club’ was real. I joined him because I couldn’t believe it.”Brown said in the podcast. In the two seasons in which number 23 participated in his third stage in the NBA, he averaged just over 20 points, about six rebounds and four assists, with 43% from the field and 80% in free play at almost 40 years old. .
It must be remembered that Jordan never hid that he liked to participate in other disciplines such as golf or even poker and bet large sums of money to give him greater competitiveness. to your game. In the documentary series The Last Dancewhich showed never before seen images of Jordan and the intimacy of those champion Bulls, moments could be seen in which His Majesty could be seen referring to his bets.
Popularly known are the numerous nights he spent with friends and colleagues playing different card games, often for very large sums of money. “In the back of the plane I played for a lot of money with Pippen and Harper,” said Will Purdue in a fragment of the documentary. Unlike MJ, the giant preferred dollar hands with John Paxson and BJ Armstrong on the trips of the early 90’s, when Jordan became an NBA icon and achieved his first three-peat in Chicago.
Jordan and his iconic number 23
