Michael Jordan’s competitiveness is as strong as ever.
Ahead of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game on February 16, footage has resurfaced of the legendary NBA star trash-talking his former rival Magic Johnson at the 2022 All-Star festivities.
2022’s All-Star Weekend was historic as it marked the 75th anniversary of The Association.
To mark the occasion, the league honored the 75 best players in the history of the game, with almost all of them in attendance.
Basketball GOAT Jordan was there along with the likes of Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal.
Backstage at the event, Jordan and Johnson poked fun at each other before MJ engaged in some signature trash-talking.
“That’s the old dog right there. Where your shoes at?” Jordan told Johnson.
“We could go play one-on-one right now. Me and you, right now,” he jokingly added.
Magic laughed off the challenge while other legends, including Gary Payton and Dwayne Wade, howled at the interaction.
Johnson and Jordan enjoy a great relationship that dates back to their rivalry with the Lakers and Bulls, respectively.
Five-time NBA champion Magic even took to social media to praise Jordan “as the best basketball player that’s ever played the game” on his birthday.
He then added: “I have so much love and respect for you, and I pray God blesses you with many more!”
The two icons have shared countless memories on the court together.
They lined up on opposite sides of the hardwood in the 1991 NBA Finals when MJ won his first chip, and they were both part of the famous USA Dream Team that won gold at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
With Jordan playing for the Bulls and Johnson suiting up for the Lakers, the majority of their careers saw them play in opposite conferences.
That meant they always played against each other in All-Star Games, and at one point they faced each other for eight-straight years, putting on some of the best shows the annual event has ever offered.
When it came to league games, Johnson and Jordan shared the court 18 times with five of them coming in the playoffs.
Magic only enjoyed 7 wins against the 14-time All-Star while the five-time MVP had 11 wins against his friend.
Jordan also pipped Johnson to NBA championships, with the 62-year-old winning six in his career to Magic’s five.
Ultimately, the pair are two of the greatest players to have ever played the game, having ended their careers with countless trophies, records, and accolades.
