It's almost a rite of passage for NBA players to have a "Michael Jordan moment," whether you were dunked on, crossed over, or simply outsmarted by "His Airness." Jordan knew how to leave his mark—some awe-inspiring, other times downright humiliating. But as long as MJ was involved, it all became more memorable.
John Salley, a four-time NBA champion, joined the Chicago Bulls in the 1995-96 season during their historic 72-win campaign. His time in Chicago was short-lived—only 17 games and zero starts.
Despite his limited role, Salley had a front-row seat to witness greatness. More than that, he had the chance to share the court with the league's most iconic player.
Back when Larry King interviewed Michael Jordan in 1994 for the unveiling of his statue wearing a Bulls jacket and the Air Jordan 10 pic.twitter.com/JgEwrz5XOW
— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) January 25, 2021
It happened during a routine practice. John was still finding his footing with the Bulls when the team's legendary coach, Phil Jackson, decided to raise the stakes. An unsuspecting Salley thought this was his chance to shine.
"MJ, we're in practice, and Phil said, 'Tell him to go home,' and he didn't know why, and he waited, and he was like, 'Alright, we're playing for minutes, scrimmage for minutes," said the former big man. "And MJ came in, 'No, no, you ain't putting me out,' and he had regular tennis shoes; they looked like Vans, but they were Nike, and he had his sweats cut and rolled at the bottom, and he thought he was fly; he wasn't, but you say nothing to the messiah."
"And we're playing, and I'm running back, and all of a sudden MJ gets a steal, and I go, and he's about to do the right-hand jump, and I said, 'Oh, I already knew exactly what dunk you were going to try. I'm getting this. I don't care.' And I drop step and turn around and am about to jump, and as I'm about to jump, the midsection is moving past my face, and you know, try to bring yourself down, and he was like, 'Block this, b----," he continued.
No. 23's ability to dunk over anyone wasn't just a skill but his trademark. Salley wasn't the first or last to find himself on the receiving end of Jordan's gravity-defying athleticism.
Craig Ehlo had his own feel during the 1989 NBA Playoffs. The Cleveland Cavaliers star became the victim of "The Shot," a buzzer-beater that elevated MJ to basketball immortality.
On This Date: Michael Jordan hit "The Shot" over Craig Ehlo, sending the Bulls on to Round 2 and breaking Cavs' fans hearts. pic.twitter.com/y8AGhDEZOu
— ESPN (@espn) May 7, 2018
No one could forget Mike's final act with the Bulls—a game-winning jumper over Bryon Russell in the 1998 NBA Finals. These were defining moments in the sport's history that proved the dunking ability of the legendary shooting guard.
Even with tennis shoes, Salley stood no chance, and the dunk encounter might have happened in practice, but it was no less iconic to him.
"I'm staying in the hotel behind the facility, so I would jump the fence. So I went home and called my mother, and she was like, 'How is it? I said, 'Ma, I just saw the greatest player of all time,'" John said.
For "The Spider," that practice was an epiphany. MJ's aura, work ethic, competitiveness, and ability to dominate were unmatched.
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