Michael Jordan was the most popular NBA star during the 1990s, and it isn’t even close. Jordan’s popularity transcended the sport of basketball itself, as he was larger than life.
In fact, during Jordan’s “Last Dance” season in 1998, Jordan himself generated $10 billion for the United States Economy, according to a report published in Fortune magazine. This was the power of Michael Jordan during his prime.
On top of fans adoring the Chicago Bulls star, other NBA players also looked up to him. This included high school players who would go on to become NBA players.
One high school basketball player who looked up to Jordan was Michael Finley of Maywood, Illinois. Finley played high school basketball at Proviso East High School, where he led his school to victory at the 1991 IHSA Class AA boys basketball tournament during his senior year.
Finley would go on to be drafted 21st overall in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. For his professional career, Finley averaged 15.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists during his 15-year career.
Finley won an NBA championship in 2007 as a member of the San Antonio Spurs. Finley was a role player at this point in his career, averaging only 3.8 points in 18.5 minutes per game.
Still, Michael Finley is an NBA champion. But how would he fare against his idol Michael Jordan?
Michael Finley Played Michael Jordan 1-On-1 In High School And Lost
After finishing his high school basketball career in 1991, Finley got the rare opportunity to play Michael Jordan on a Chicago TV station broadcast. This was a surreal opportunity for Finley, and he was unsurprisingly feeling nervous.
Even though Finley was feeling a little nervous, he also felt confident. He knew how to play basketball, and he certainly wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to play against his idol.
“You always see him on TV playing and to get a chance to play against him is like a dream come true.” Finley said when asked about playing Michael Jordan.
The reporter then asked Finley if he was up to playing against Jordan, and Finley promptly responded by saying: “Yeah, I think I’m up to it.”
Finley was also asked if he was nervous, and he answered by saying: “Yeah.”
The two would start things off by playing a game of H-O-R-S-E, and Jordan didn’t make things easy. After starting with a simple layup that Finley would make, Jordan attempted a left-handed jumper, which he made.
Finley would then try a left-handed shot, and like most right-handed players, he missed. The two would continue the match, with Jordan eventually ending Finley with a reverse spinning layup.
After the game of H-O-R-S-E ended, Jordan challenged Finley to a quick game of 1-on-1, only going up to three. Finley would start with the ball, and he quickly made a pull-up jumper over Jordan.
Finley 1. Jordan 0.
Finley had a cheering section standing just off the court as he brought some friends from high school to watch the matchup. Despite this, Jordan wouldn’t hold back as he followed up with a pull-up jumper at the top of the key; swish.
Finley 1. Jordan 1.
Jordan would follow his first bucket up by pump-faking and getting the shooter’s role on a short jumper over Finley.
Finley 1. Jordan 2.
The pressure was now on the high school star to stop His Airness. Would Finley succeed? No. Jordan would blow by Finley and slam the ball home.
Finley 1. Jordan 3.
The game was over, and unsurprisingly, to anyone, Jordan came out victorious. This was a great moment in the young life of Finley, a moment he’d most certainly take with him on his journey to becoming an NBA player himself.
Jordan saw the potential Finley had and gave him great praise after their matchup.
“I think he was nervous,” Jordan said of Finley. “I think he brought all his buddies from school or whatever… they made you nervous [to Finley], didn’t they? I give you a rematch. I don’t know, I may see you in about five years, hopefully.”
Jordan was spot on when he told Finley that he’d see him in five years, as it would be five years later when Finley was drafted by the Phoenix Suns. What a great moment for any basketball fan of the G.O.A.T. to have that chance to not only meet him but to get to play him as well.
This is another reason why Jordan was the biggest star in the basketball world at that time, as he wasn’t against giving his fans a chance to meet him and to put on a show for them. This is why everybody wanted to “Be Like Mike.”
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