Imagine stepping onto an NBA court, the roar of the crowd fading into a surreal hum, and there he is—your childhood hero, the player who made you fall in love with the game. For one rookie, it wasn’t just a dream; it was reality. Forget stats and highlights; this was about the feeling, the sheer presence of a legend. And years later, when asked to pick the greatest, there was no hesitation, no debate—just pure, unfiltered admiration for the man who made basketball magnetic. “I felt he made the game sexy in some aspect…” The statement itself oozes love for Michael Jordan, but what about when you have to take him on?
Joe Johnson was faced with a similar situation with his NBA icon, Michael Jordan. It so just happened that Michael Jordan returned from his second retirement and made a comeback with the Washington Wizards, while Iso Joe was making his NBA debut in 2001. Fate had given him the chance to play against his idol. The feeling? Well, Joe Johnson could not have described it any better.
Back then, Johnson was with the Boston Celtics before being traded to the Phoenix Suns later in his rookie year. But before that move, he had his first true welcome to the NBA moment—facing off against Jordan. Looking back on it during a recent interview on FanDuel TV’s Run it Back, Johnson described just how unreal it felt.
“It was surreal. A moment that I still look back on to this day. An idol of mine growing up. I remember when I was growing up, there were only a couple channels that you could watch. And I think like WGN, the Bulls was on every night. Getting a chance to compete against him my rookie year, and it was on TNT, that was a memorable moment for me,” Johnson shared.
Iso Joe scored a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) in the game, so he could not have asked for better against MJ in his rookie season. But little did he know, years later, he would draw comparisons to Jordan, even if just in fleeting moments.
It was during his time with the Brooklyn Nets that Johnson built a reputation for thriving in crunch time. He had a habit of nailing game-winning shots, and it didn’t take long for people to start throwing around Michael Jordan’s name when talking about his clutch gene.
Of course, as clutch as Johnson was, drawing direct comparisons to Jordan was a stretch. MJ dominated on a level few could ever reach, consistently closing out the biggest games of his era. And that’s exactly why Iso Joe always put Jordan on such a high pedestal.
Joe Johnson has already declared Michael Jordan as his GOAT
Iso Joe isn’t sitting on the fence when it comes to the GOAT debate. Having faced both Michael Jordan and LeBron James during his career, he was put on the spot during Run It Back on FanDuel TV and asked to pick between the two. Some might hesitate, weighing stats and accolades, but not Johnson—he knew his answer right away.
“I’m MJ all day, bro,” he said without a second thought. “I grew up watching Jumpman, MJ. I’m a huge fan, and I felt he made the game sexy in some aspect, and I just enjoyed it from the time I was probably about seven, eight years old.”
It’s easy to see why. Iso Joe grew up watching Jordan dominate the NBA, stacking up 6 titles, 6 Finals MVPs, 5 MVPs, and 10 scoring crowns with the Bulls. But it wasn’t just about the numbers—Jordan played the game with a swagger that drew fans in, and Johnson was no exception.
So, no matter what LeBron does in the twilight of his career, Johnson isn’t budging. His GOAT remains the legend who made him feel “surreal” in his rookie season.
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