Michael Jordan had retired by the start of the 1998 season, but that didn’t stop him from teaching a lesson to a Chicago Bulls player soon later.
Rookie Corey Benjamin made the mistake of trash-talking Jordan, publicly claiming he could beat the six-time NBA champion one-on-one.
3
Benjamin hit out at rumors he was beaten 11-0Credit: GETTY
Benjamin, who was drafted as the 28th pick in the first round of the 1998 NBA draft, saw life as a Chicago Bulls player begin poorly.
Former big man and teammate Chris Anstey recalled that Benjamin was relentless in looking for more playing time after the team lost their first five games of the 1998-1999 season.
Benjamin even went as far as to say that he could take on MJ.
“We started the season 0-5 and Benjamin had logged very few minutes,” Anstey said.Â
“Not only was he vocal in his belief he deserved more minutes, he went as far as to say that he could beat anyone in the world 1-on-1, including Michael Jordan.
“Word got back to Jordan that a young kid on the team had been running his mouth.”
Michael Jordan taught Corey Benjamin a lesson
The Bulls legend took Benjamin’s claim seriously and turned up at practice a few days later, despite being retired, and invited him to a one-on-one match.
“We had just finished a training session after returning from a road trip, and in strolls Michael Jordan,” Anstey continued.Â
“Basketball in hand, he walked straight up to Benjamin, who was shooting on a side rim: ‘I heard you’ve been running your mouth. You and me, let’s go.'”
According to witnesses there, the then 36-year-old easily defeated the young rookie in a game to 11.
3
Michael Jordan showed no mercy on his teammatesCredit: Getty
3
Jordan still believed he could mix it up in his 50s
“MJ showed up and he just schooled him,” Bulls teammate Kornel David said about the contest.
However, Benjamin disagrees with that take, claiming the score was much closer before adding that it was a dream to take Jordan on.
“After practice, I’m walking off the court when MJ walks into the gym. He said, ‘I’m about to give you your chance.’ As a basketball player, it was the best feeling in the world to play one-on-one against Michael Jordan in front of everybody,” he said.
“The score was 11-9, just to let you know. Everybody says it was 11-0 or 11-1 or 11-2. He did get up to 7-0 pretty fast, and I was amazed; I had never seen anything like that in my life.
“But the final score was 11-9, and it was the best one-on-one game I’ve ever played. It was like a dream come true.”
Michael Jordan believes he could still beat current NBA players one-on-one
Back in 2015, at the age of 52, Jordan was so confident in his basketball skills that he told France’s L’Equipe that he could beat players at the Charlotte Hornets at the time.
Rare footage shows Michael Jordan make feelings clear on ring culture as LeBron James’ comments cause stir
“Do you think you could play against some of your guys right now? Do you ever do that, or not? Could you beat them one-on-one?” the reporter asked the former Hornets owner.
Jordan replied: “I’m pretty sure I could, but I don’t want to do that and demolish their confidence.
“So I stay away from them. I let them think they’re good but I’m too old to do that anyway.”
As for Benjamin, he only lasted until 2001 on Chicago’s roster.
He bounced around international leagues with stints in France, China, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Portugal and South Korea.
Benjamin retired in 2008 with a total of 835Â points and 259 rebounds from his time in The Association.
NBA’s Greatest
