Young O.J. Mayo paid the price for trash-talking old Michael Jordan

Former Memphis Grizzlies star O.J. Mayo was among the most exciting prospects in high school. As a teen, Mayo was an electrifying scorer who became well-known nationwide for his compelling talent and knack for finding creative ways to put the ball in the hoop.

With the talent and the growing popularity came the confidence to compete against big names, including the great Michael Jordan, who had the young Mayo at his camp.

Unfortunately for O.J., the camp's main lesson was that trash-talking an all-time great is a bad idea.

"I'm playing in my camp against O.J. Mayo. He was a top high school kid coming out, and I had never met him," Jordan said in an interview. " In front of my camp, he starts this thing about 'You can't guard me, you can't do this.' From that point on, it was a lesson. He never won a game. I posted him up; I did everything."

Jordan taught Mayo a valuable lesson

Mayo learned that it is not recommended to poke the bear because it will come back stronger. M.J. might have been in his late 40s, but he was still the six-time Finals MVP who dominated the league in the 1990s. Mayo thought he could take on anyone, but his over-confidence got him humiliated by an old man.

Despite the lesson he learned in Jordan's camp as a teen, Mayo's overconfidence continued and became a recurring theme in his career. He never lacked the confidence to shoot, regardless of his shooting percentage or his coaches' tactics.

O.J. needed to be more in control to maximize his potential as a player. Unfortunately, he never succeeded in doing that in Memphis or any other NBA team.

The burden of high expectations

Many consider O.J. a 'bust' because of the expectations created when he was playing high school basketball. He attracted the largest-ever high school game in Cincinnati, Ohio, when 16,202 fans watched O.J.'s North College Hill lose to the country's top team, Oak Hill Academy.

Because of his unique and complete offensive skill set, O.J. always had the aura of a star player. After playing one college season with USC, he declared for the 2008 NBA draft. The Memphis Grizzlies selected him with the third overall pick, just behind Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley.

Since he warranted such a high selection, Memphis fans had high expectations for the former USC Trojan. He started his career well by scoring 18.5 points per game as a rookie, but that would be his highest points average. He would have a hot-and-cold career in a Grizzlies uniform, losing his starting spot in the third season and becoming a sixth man.

Overall, Mayo had a decent NBA career, but it was well below the expectations from his high school and college days.

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