1990 pay-per-view one-on-one matchup between Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson that didn't happen
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, arguably the two biggest NBA stars were Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Magic dominated the 80s, winning five NBA titles.
Michael Jordan became a scoring sensation, MVP, and defensive player of the year winner in the 1980s. Jordan would go on to become a six-time champion in the 90s, and he'd go down as what most people would call the GOAT of basketball.
Back in the late 80s and early 90s, everyone who loved the game of basketball wanted to see one matchup above the rest: Michael Jordan vs. Magic Johnson. This would become a dream come true in 1991 when the Chicago Bulls faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
I think all basketball fans remember what happened there. After the Lakers stole Game 1 in Chicago on a Sam Perkins game-winning three, the Bulls won four straight games to win the franchise's first title.
There were some memorable moments from both Jordan and Magic during the series. Who can forget Jordan's switch hands layup in Game 2? What some people may forget is that incredible layup was Jordan's 13th consecutive made field goal.
Jordan had other big moments in the series, including hitting the game-tying jumper over Vlade Divac to send the game into overtime in Game 3. Magic's squad may have lost the series, but that doesn't mean The Magic Man struggled.
In the deciding game (Game 5), Magic dished out 20 assists. He also showed flashes of dominance on the offensive end by using his size advantage against Jordan in the post.
This head-to-head matchup was great for fans to see, but did you know these two stars almost played a one-on-one game against each other in 1990? This was the greatest game that never happened.
Jordan vs. Magic: The One-On-One Game That Almost Happened
In 1990, Magic Johnson came up with an idea. This idea was to play arguably the greatest one-on-one player in the game in a one-on-one matchup in Las Vegas. This was going to be a huge pay-per-view event that was dubbed “King of the Court.”
The matchup in Las Vegas would feature two 15-minute halves. So, the players would play like a regular game, with a time limit, not to a certain point total, as in most one-on-one games. The winner of the game would then take home a $1 million prize.
Magic was all for the idea, obviously, since he came up with the idea. Jordan, on the other hand, was a little skeptical at first.
“It was something I didn’t want to do with Magic,” Jordan said during an interview with Roy Firestone. “The image of it for one thing. For me, I have been known as a one-on-one player all my career. I was trying to get away from that label to be a more of an all-around player. When you have Magic who has been known as an all-around player and wanting to play a one-on-one situation.
“My concern was that from a public point of view was more or less, ‘They are just playing to get a lot of money.’ I didn’t want that image to be taken out of context. It would be fun to play Magic one-on-one. I wouldn’t mind doing it. That’s something I grew up doing. Playing one of the best players in a one-on-one game. It would be fun to do now, but there is so much confusion involved because of the situation being of a business proposition.”
There was another NBA player that was not keen on the idea of Magic playing Jordan in this event. Now, there's been rumors this player didn't want it to occur because of their personal problem with Jordan and maybe even jealousy of him not being asked to play Magic. I'm speaking about Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons.
At that time, Thomas was the president of the National Basketball Players Association, and he quickly shut down the idea. Again, this came as no surprise to anyone who knew Thomas and Jordan's rivalry.
“I believe that this sets a bad precedent,” Thomas said about the one-on-one matchup.
Thomas wasn't alone in not wanting to see this big pay-per-view event happen. The NBA as a league was against the idea, as well.
“We're not interested in seeing our players being promoted like fighters in Las Vegas,” Gary Bettman, who was the NBA's lawyer at the time, said.
It's a shame for basketball fans around the world that this one-on-one matchup, featuring two of the greatest players the game has ever seen, never happened. We'd all like to imagine how the game would have gone, and though we can't say for sure who would have won, I have my money on the Chicago Bulls star.
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