Michael Jordan is one of the fiercest competitors in the history of professional sports. His incredible drive to win helped him lead his Chicago Bulls to 6 championships during his time with the team. All 6 championships came in Jordan’s heyday as an unstoppable basketball player from 1991 to 1998, with Jordan only losing 1 playoff series during this time.
Before Jordan became a serial winner in the NBA, he went through years of struggle in the Eastern Conference playoffs against teams like the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons. However, a loss he suffered in 1987 is one that people don’t often talk about.
MJ went up against 16-year-old Eric Barber, one of the best wheelchair basketball players around, in a 1-on-1, first-to-20 game. Jordan would be blindsided by Barber and fall down by a big margin early, as Barber was not missing shots. While MJ brought his score up to 14, Barber iced the game with a top-of-the-key shot that counted for 2 points and gave him the win.
In his third season in the NBA, Michael Jordan is the brightest young star in the league. He is challenged by 16-year-old Eric Barber to a game of wheelchair basketball. First to 20 wins (1987)
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“Great competitor. He is a great competitor. I owe him a coke for this one.”
Jordan was asked why he didn’t bet a 6-pack of coke and said, “Just one, I was smart for this one.”
Jordan was a fierce athlete and will mostly be remembered for his incredible winning spirit on the court. While the rings he won made him a champion, it was acting like these that proved he was championship-quality even before he ever competed in the NBA Finals.
Jordan playing with Barber is incredible to see, considering the profile MJ would develop over his career. He tried wheelchair basketball and showed the world it wasn’t as easy as it looks, bringing light to the sport and giving Barber a cool moment where he played against one of the best talents in the NBA.
