On an episode of ‘KG Certified’, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce reflected on facing Michael Jordan during his time with the Washington Wizards. Both former Celtics stars had memorable run-ins with Jordan, and despite his age and declining health, the Wizards-era Jordan still made a significant impression.
Kevin Garnett: “Mike was a motherf***er though, both times. ‘Cause he was still talking that shit.”
Paul Pierce: “Yep, still talking s**t.”
Kevin Garnett: “Still talking that s**t, still skilled. It was just his health. And I had to guard that motherf***er. He gave us 40. I got like 38 out of that too. He was dribbling too much.”
“You know, I hadn’t played the three in a minute, but Flip was like, ‘Nah, you’re the only one that can guard him.’ I’m like, ‘We got two guards here, what the f**k? Our twos can’t?’ He said, ‘No, you’re gonna guard him.’ I’m like, ‘All right, cool, I ain’t trippin’, let’s get it.'”
“Ha, too slow. Ho, huh, damn. Huh, whatever. Ho, huh, whatever. Huh, whatever. Ho, huh, watch out. Ho, hoo. They weren’t even running the triangle, he started making up the triangle as he was doing that. ‘Set it right here, now watch out.’ Huh, whatever. Whatever. Ho, huh. Man, yo, what?”
“That motherf***er came out one time, shot that thing so high. I jumped and I was just like, ‘Oh, I can’t even…’ Oh man. But I thought it was great for the league when he came back. I thought he wanted to see where he lined up or aligned with some of these younger stars. I thought it was just great overall for the league.”
Paul Pierce: “Mike gave me 32. What’d I have? Damn, 14? Damn. He gave us 32.”
“He was still talkin’ that sh*t. He was still skilled. And I had to guard that MF.”
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce recall Michael Jordan COOKING THEM even in his 40’s 🧑🍳
(via @allthesmokeprod)
pic.twitter.com/4Dxd5AvFup
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 14, 2024
Kevin Garnett recalled one particular game where Jordan was assigned to him, emphasizing that even at 38, MJ’s competitive fire and trash-talking were as intense as ever.
Although Jordan didn’t actually score 40, his performance was still impressive. Jordan dropped 35 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists on Garnett and the Timberwolves in their first matchup. Garnett, who typically played power forward, was tasked with guarding the legendary shooting guard due to his defensive versatility, but MJ still found ways to dominate.
Garnett also described how Jordan, even at that stage of his career, maintained his ability to control the game, improvising on the floor and adjusting to the defense with ease.
Paul Pierce, who also went head-to-head with Jordan during his Wizards stint, had a similar experience. In that first meeting against Pierce’s Celtics, Jordan finished with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists, showcasing that even in the twilight of his career, he was capable of putting up vintage numbers.
Both Garnett and Pierce emphasized that while Jordan’s athleticism had diminished, his basketball IQ, footwork, and skill set remained at an elite level. Despite his age and injuries, Michael Jordan continued to demonstrate his greatness, proving that even a slowed-down version of His Airness was a force to be reckoned with.
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