Video: Michael Jordan Smacks Malik Monk for Getting Technical Foul vs. Pistons

NBA legend and current Charlotte Hornets principal owner and chairman Michael Jordan gave Hornets guard Malik Monk a playful slap after the ex-Kentucky star (and some of his teammates on the bench) committed a late technical foul in a 108-107 win over the Detroit Pistons.

The footage below is via Zach Aldridge of WCCB Charlotte:

After Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb hit a go-ahead bucket to give Charlotte a 108-106 lead, Monk and other Hornets ran onto the court to celebrate:

The only problem was the game hadn't ended.

Three-tenths of a second were on the clock, and the ball was live with both teams out of timeouts.

The Hornets were whistled for a technical, and Pistons guard Langston Galloway hit the ensuing free throw.

However, NBA rules dictate that a player can't catch and shoot with three-tenths of a second or fewer on the clock, so Detroit needed to throw a full-court pass and tap the ball in for the win.

That did not happen, as Hornets swingman Nicolas Batum stole the inbounds attempt.

Charlotte has probably learned its lesson about celebrating too early moving forward, but in fairness to Monk and others, that was a huge win.

The victory catapulted the Hornets over the Pistons into the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is now three games clear of the Miami Heat, who are the first team out of the playoff picture.