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‘I Was Able to Surprise Him’: When an Average Joe Went 1-on-1 Against Michael Jordan in an Unlikely Matchup
Michael Jordan never took no prisoners in a basketball game, whether five-on-five or 1-on-1. But an average hooper once went up against MJ and showed he wasn't someone to be taken lightly.
The idea of an ordinary man going up against Michael Jordan in a one-on-one setting doesn’t just sound comical but absolutely ludicrous. But it didn’t just happen once, but many times over the course of 13 years.
The Michael Jordan Senior Flight School was a fantasy basketball camp from 1997 to 2010. It was targeted towards basketball enthusiasts 34 years old and older. These middle-aged, passionate fans got the chance to not only learn from some of the best coaches in the world but also interact with NBA legends such as Bill Walton and Charles Barkley, among others.
Now, when the camp is called the Michael Jordan Senior Camp, one would expect Jordan to stop by at least once. But apparently, MJ showed up every day and not only interacted with the participants but also taught them his game, shared advice, and eventually challenged them to a 1v1 game.
While many campers tried their luck against the five-time MVP and tasted defeat, one individual took his chance and surprised not just other campers but even the GOAT himself.
Who Is Our Average Joe?
Born on March 31, 1958, John Rogers is the chairman and co-CEO of Ariel Capital Management. As a child, Rogers was a dedicated hooper and even played three years of college basketball for Princeton University under renowned head coach Pete Carril. During his time at Princeton, Rogers had a pretty under-the-radar career, averaging just 3.5 points per game on 50% shooting.
Rogers recalled Coach Carril’s honest opinion of his game in a fun Interview with John Fortt, host of the Fortt Knox show on CNBC:
“Coach Carril used to always say I was a good one-on-one player, but when it came to passing, he said I was legally blind.”
Rogers was by no means a conditioned athlete. However, considering his experience as a college ballplayer, he was well capable of holding his own in a one-on-one game.
When Jordan’s Experience Met John’s Competitive Spirit
In August 2003, Rogers attended the annual MJ Senior Flight School. On the final day of the camp, Jordan challenged the campers to a 1v1 game of up to three. Wearing some proper basketball gear, Jordan simply dominated his competition. Just to save some energy, Jordan sometimes allowed the campers to score a couple of points on him before going all out at the last minute and getting the win.
The tradition had continued for seven years, and it seemed like no one would ever get past Jordan. Eventually, it was Rogers's time to step up to Jordan, who, up until that point, had beaten 20 challengers, with Rogers seemingly being his last Victim.
Rogers, at 45, was five years older than MJ, so he was outmatched in just about every physical metric. But Rogers believed in his one-on-one skills and wanted to be the first guy to beat Jordan in his own camp.
"Don't be mad at me; I'm just too good for you," Jordan said before their duel, possibly to get under Rogers' skin.
Moments after Jordan's comment, Rogers took two power dribbles to the right and sank the layup on Jordan's face. He then went back to the three-point line, faked a jump shot, took two dribbles to his left, and created enough separation to sink in the Circus Layup off the glass.
Up 2-0, Rogers took a couple of dribbles to his right but failed to score. Jordan then took to the three-point line and dropped two back-to-back shots to even the scores. Surprisingly, on his third attempt, Jordan missed the Jumper, and Rogers finally got the ball with another shot at glory.
Rogers took two power dribbles to the left and launched a Hail Mary layup that went in. The campers roared in disbelief as they had witnessed a rare moment in basketball history with Rogers and Jordan embracing shortly after.
In the end, Rogers not only earns Jordan's respect but also his Acknowledgment.
ALSO READ: Throwback To When Michael Jordan Was Asked About His 'Greatest Regret In Life'; THIS is What He Said
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