Pickup games during the offseason served as a stage for former University of North Carolina star Al Wood, who showcased his physicality and dominance as a player. In those battles, Wood often dueled with Tar Heels freshman Michael Jordan, simply known back then as Mike.
Wood initially saw Jordan as an easy target, as the then-future NBA star was still finding his footing. Mike often found himself at the receiving end of Wood's playful taunts and aggressive style of play. However, the budding talent decided he had had enough of Wood's bullying antics during his sophomore year.
Fueled by a desire to prove himself, young Jordan began to hit back and respond with an intensity that caught Wood off guard.
"I can remember him as a freshman, we played pickup games, I'd hit him with elbow, and I'd bang him. And I could see some of the timidness,” Wood once said of Jordan. “But by the time he got to be a sophomore, I can remember playing against him. He hit me one time. I elbowed him in the chest, and he turned around and elbowed me right back in the chest and said, 'I'm not scared of you anymore.'"
Al always knew Mike had it in him
Wood was no stranger to attention and recognition during his college career. As a UNC standout, Al averaged 19.0 points in his junior year and 18.1 in his senior year before being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks as the No. 4 overall pick in 1981.
That said, Wood realized early on that Jordan had what it took to be a dominant player like him, even before Mike stood up for himself in one of those competitive battles they had at Chapel Hill.
"But I do believe that Michael Jordan has something in his heart and something in his engine that very few athletes in history have," Al reflected.
MJ's breakout year at UNC
As the pickup games went on, it became apparent that Jordan was no longer the intimidated young player who used to succumb to the older players' aggressiveness. Mike not only matched Wood's physicality but also proved that he was destined for greatness.
According to former Tar Heels varsity manager David Hard, Jordan tremendously improved when he returned to UNC as a sophomore , marking a significant moment in his college basketball career.
"Some of the best basketball is played in early August each year in Chapel Hill when current and past Carolina players playing pro ball get together for pickup games. I was watching them play just before the year started in 1982, and I remember calling my dad and saying, ‘Take a guess at who the most improved player is?'" Hart once recalled .
"It was Michael Jordan. He came back as a sophomore on a totally different level. I was just dumbfounded at how much he had improved over the summer," he added.
True to form, Jordan had a breakout season in his sophomore year at UNC. He finished the season averaging 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Jordan played another remarkable year as a junior before declaring for the NBA Draft in 1984. The rest, as they say, is history.
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