Michael Jordan Tells Story of Shooting FT After Not Picking Up a Basketball 'In Years'
Michael Jordan won six championships, six NBA Finals MVPs and five league MVPs and is considered by many to be the greatest player in basketball history.
But there's nothing like the pressure to live up to a legendary and almost mythical legacy in front of the next generation.
Of course, he "absolutely" delivered in the face of that pressure.
The first edition of the "MJ: Insights to Excellence" segment that will air during NBA on NBC broadcasts aired during halftime of Tuesday's game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets, and His Airness told Mike Tirico a story about the last time he picked up a basketball after so much time away from the game.
"I haven't picked up a ball in years," he said. "You don't see a hoop anywhere around here, right?
"I was at the Ryder Cup and I rented a house from the owner. He came over to do pictures and had grandkids. I was meeting and greeting, thanked him for allowing me to stay at the house. He had a basketball court. He says, 'I want you to shoot one free throw.'
"… When I stepped up to shoot the free throw, that was the most nervous I've been in years. The reason being is, those kids heard the stories from their parents about what I did 30 years ago. So their expectation is 30 years prior, and I haven't touched a basketball."
Naturally Tirico asked if he "swished it" and Jordan responded like only he could.
"Absolutely."
It is surely a lifetime memory for those children who got to see Jordan shoot a free throw on the hoop, and it is no surprise he made the shot. After all, he was known for coming through in the most important moments throughout his career, and that ability to deliver in the clutch clearly didn't go anywhere in retirement.
If Tuesday's segment was a hint of what's to come, basketball fans will be in for a treat during NBA on NBC halftimes.
Jordan telling firsthand stories about his own career while also talking about the modern-day game will surely generate headlines every time one of the interview clips air given his legendary status.
Even if those stories are about shooting free throws in retirement.
