Ronnie Fields tells how Michael Jordan demanded that he guard him during a pick-up game: "No, young fellow. You come guard me"

As many what-ifs as there are in the NBA, there are loads more in amateur basketball. However, there is none more prominent than Ronnie Fields , the 6'3" high-scoring guard from Chicago who was on a path to hoop stardom before a neck injury he suffered in a car accident in February 1996 derailed his once-promising career.

Although he was a shell of his former self after the accident, Ronnie still had game and the respect of Chicago hoop heads, which earned him a spot in a pick-up game featuring the "Greatest of All Time," Michael Jordan .

It was there where he matched up against the player he patterned his game after. With the game being a pick-up game, Ronnie believed he would just coast and take on BJ Armstrong. But much to his surprise, MJ demanded he guard him in the game.

Amid His Airness' second comeback

Fields was one of Chicago high school basketball's biggest stars. With a lightning-quick first step and a vertical leap that reportedly reached 50 inches, Ronnie took on all comers and dominated them all, becoming a three-time Parade All-American selection. Despite the car accident robbing him of a successful pro career, Fields still held a lot of cache in Chicago and was invited to play a pick-up game with MJ.

"When he made his second comeback, this was the craziest thing. So, David Booth, who's now working in the league office, and Shaheen (Holloway) was there too. He was playing here with the ABA team. And he's like, 'Hey, have the guys come down to the Hoop. Shut the gym down. We're going to play,'" Ronnie said on "All The Smoke."

Thinking it would be a casual game where the guys would get a good sweat going, Fields figured he would just coast in this game and match up against another no-name player. But lo and behold, Michael Jeffrey Jordan wanted nobody else but Ronnie to guard him.

"It's like, I'm thinking Dave Booth is going to go and like, 'Yeah, you going grab Mike. I'mma, you know, grab BJ.' You know what? He's like, 'No, young fella, you come guard me,'" Fields continued.

Quickly learned why MJ is MJ

Born and raised in Chi-Town, it was only natural that Fields gravitated towards His Airness. Like many other young players, he watched his games, learned his moves, and tried to copy them as he could. So, playing against him in his prime was a dream come true. But as the game picked up, Fields quickly realized this would not be just another pick-up game.

"I watched and mirrored everything he did. So in that moment, everybody in the gym starts watching this matchup. Like my first thing, and this is just understanding his moves, I say, 'Okay, he can shoot over me with a fadeaway.' So that's the first thing I'm biting on, right?" Ronnie stated.

"He gets you right on that elbow. So the first thing was this, and then he turned right, hadn't bounced the ball. So I'm like, 'Yeah, he going right to that fadeaway.' So I go to reach and come off my feet, he steps through, one dribble, dunk," Fields remarked.

Fields never got the chance to become the NBA star many experts projected he would become. Instead, he played in the Continental Basketball Association. He embarked on an international hoop career that would bring him to countries like the Philippines, Turkey, Lebanon, and Puerto Rico, to mention a few. However, he would always remember being schooled by His Airness, one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Related: "He would've been knocking on Bill Russell's door" - Olden Polynice says MJ would've won more titles if they did not trade him for Pippen