LeBron James made his NBA debut in 2003, just months after Michael Jordan retired for the third and final time in April of that year. While fans never got to witness the two legends face off in an NBA game, a memorable pick-up game brought them together when James was just 16 years old, and Jordan was nearing the end of his playing career.
In a recent appearance on the New Heights Show with Travis Kelce, James opened up about the iconic pick-up game in Chicago, where he found himself playing alongside Jordan and other NBA stars.
“When I was finally able to get on the court – first of all, it was MJ, Antoine Walker, and the rest of those guys – they did not let young guys get on the court,” James said. “I was 16 years old, a sophomore in high school, and it takes a while to get on the court. It’s usually when the older guys get tired and don’t want to play anymore”.
When asked who guarded him during the game, James delivered a confident response, recalling how he held his own. “I was unguardable,” James admitted. “I was busting a—. I was nervous being out there with MJ and the rest of those guys. I was like, ‘I’m about to go crazy,’ and I did”.
Ron Artest #23 of the Indiana Pacers posts up LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during James’ first year at the NBA. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Though James didn’t specify the exact date of the game, it likely took place in the summer of 2001. At that time, Jordan was 38 years old and preparing for his second comeback with the Washington Wizards, where he played during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.
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Former NBA champion and Lakers forward Metta Sandiford–Artest, known as Ron Artest during his playing days, was also present at the game and vividly remembers LeBron’s impact.
“Everybody knew who he was. He was already famous. He was bigger than all of us in the gym,” Artest shared on the Podcast P with Paul George. “So he’s coming into the gym, and I’m like, ‘Alright, cool, I wanna see what he’s got.’ And he’s cooking. He’s 15 or 16, posting, getting to the basket. And I’m like, ‘This is going to be a huge issue’”.
Artest went on to admit that seeing James dominate at such a young age motivated him to work even harder on his own game. “He actually motivated me,” Artest continued. “When I saw that, it motivated me. I’m like, ‘I gotta go to work.’ He’s coming into the league cooking. I was not like that at 15”.
A moment in history
As much as there are no records of this game, it remains a unique moment in basketball history, as it offers the NBA world a rare glimpse of LeBron James and Michael Jordan sharing the court, long before James began his journey to become one of the NBA’s all-time greats.
