"Jordan was a bit clumsy dancing" - MJ initially refused to do a music video with Michael Jackson

At one point in the early '90s, Michael Jordan found himself in a unique situation when Michael Jackson reached out to him to do a music video. The idea was brilliant, but Jordan was hesitant to accept the offer because he knew there would be some dancing involved with the King of Pop in the project.

Throughout his career, MJ showcased his incredible skills on the court, earning accolades and admiration from NBA fans. However, dancing was not one of his go-to abilities; it was something he felt relatively comfortable with.

After some thought, Jordan agreed, realizing that it's not every day an NBA player gets a request like that from an icon like Jackson.

"First I said, 'I don't know if I want to do this, because this guy's going to try to get me out there to dance, and that's going to be really embarrassing.' But then I said: 'Well, shoot, it's Michael Jackson. When would you ever get an opportunity to get to know him socially for a little bit, and yet at the same time, get to do his video?' So, I changed my mind and went on and did it," Jordan once recalled via ESPN .

The music video was still epic

Unsurprisingly, Jordan was right. He didn't have any serious dance moves to showcase in the video as he hilariously struggled to mimic Jackson's signature moonwalk and choreographies. On the other hand, Jackson, famous for his intricate dance moves, effortlessly did his thing.

However, the King of Pop lost all that poise and grace when he tried to hoop in the video, terribly bricking his shots. Ultimately, "Jam" was still a sight to behold as nothing could ever go wrong when two icons from different realms of entertainment come together to create a moment that would be etched in history.

"Jordan was a bit clumsy dancing, I have to say, and I would say Michael's jump shot was probably as weak as Jordan's dancing [laughs]. So, it was really just about capturing moments between them and then using the footage we gathered. It felt very natural," the music video's producer Phil Rose said.

Jam was quite a hit

After its release, Jam gained popularity and was once number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was also used by the Chicago Bulls in their 1992 NBA Championship video "Untouchabulls" as well as in various promotional ads of the NBA at the time.

As for Jordan's dance-off with Jackson, it became a timeless hit that never fails to delight sports and music fans worldwide.

Related: "When I was 18, Michael Jackson tried to get me to meditate" — Kobe Bryant on the King of Pop's ridiculous meditation habits