Corey Benjamin Talks Retired Michael Jordan Flying to Bulls Practice to Play Him

Michael Jordan retired after the 1997-98 season, but the Chicago Bulls star returned to one practice the next season to teach rookie Corey Benjamin a lesson.

As Benjamin explained to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, the situation started after Benjamin trash-talked Jordan on the phone in saying he could beat him one-on-one. A few days later, the 36-year-old Jordan showed up at practice to prove himself.

Benjamin broke down the matchup from his perspective:

"After practice, I'm walking off the court when MJ walks into the gym. He said, 'I'm about to give you your chance.' As a basketball player, it was the best feeling in the world to play one-on-one against Michael Jordan in front of everybody. The score was 11-9, just to let you know. Everybody says it was 11-0 or 11-1 or 11-2. He did get up to 7-0 pretty fast and I was amazed; I had never seen anything like that in my life. But the final score was 11-9 and it was the best one-on-one game I've ever played. It was like a dream come true."

Other teammates had a different view of the game.

"MJ showed up and he just schooled him," Kornel David said.

Benjamin was taken in the first round of the 1998 draft, attempting to key a rebuild in Chicago after Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Phil Jackson and others had left the previous offseason. He lasted only three years with the Bulls and was out of the NBA by 2003.

Jordan still believes he can beat current players one-on-one, even at 57 years old, but said he doesn't play because he doesn't want to "demolish their confidence."