Earvin 'Magic' Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers and Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls had countless encounters during their careers. However, one of the most memorable moments was their meeting in the 1991 NBA Finals. It was officially their first matchup on that stage, and fans were eager to see how the two legends would fare.
Ironically, Magic and MJ could have crossed paths as early as 1990. The only difference is that it was a one-on-one matchup, which would be on pay-per-view. Jordan loved to challenge people one-on-one, and the idea of playing against Johnson appealed to him.
Earvin's best basketball move revealed
Johnson was best known as a team player, orchestrating for the Purple and Gold for years. Regarding one-on-one plays, Magic wasn't really the most natural scorer or shot-creator.
Hence, many wondered how he would fare against Jordan. Better yet, some were curious to know what kind of moves Johnson would make against the Bulls superstar.
"I didn't have a best move. My best move was just to win, and that's it. I did what I had to do to win," the five-time NBA champion said in Roland Lazenby's book, "Michael Jordan: The Life."
The event was branded as "King of the Court," and the winner would take home $1 million. The game would consist of two 15-minute halves.
Although Magic initially claimed that the whole thing was his idea, Lou DiBella and Seth Abraham were the real people behind it. Both found success in organizing significant boxing events and felt the Jordan vs. Johnson one-on-one game would be surreal. Unfortunately, there was a hindrance in all – Isiah Thomas.
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Why it never happened
Everything seemed set in 1990 until the NBA canceled the event. This was after Zeke, then the President of the Players Association, objected to the one-on-one contest.
Thomas was good friends with Magic Johnson but hated Jordan's guts. Michael lambasted Isiah for that, pointing out how the Detroit Pistons guard was jealous because no one would pay to see him play. Johnson tried to distance himself from that, not wanting to get involved in the rift.
With the event called off, many were left disappointed. It was something that many would have talked about then to this day. Hence, the next best thing for it was the 1991 NBA Finals.
When the Finals got underway, Jordan and Johnson put on a show. Maic had a triple-double in Game 1, although it was Sam Perkins' heroics that gave the Lakers first blood.
The Bulls would bounce back in Game 2. From that point on, Chicago never looked back, winning the next three games and their first NBA title in franchise history.
Related: “Magic Johnson should have been Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan” — MJ opens up about his early feud with Magic
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