Michael Jordan vs. Magic Johnson is a legendary argument that persists today. The majority of NBA fans consider Michael Jordan the G. O. A. T., but arguing whether Magic may be better is not outlandish. According to Jonathan Abrams of Bleacher Report, the world was nearly given a clearer answer to the question, in the form of a televised one-on-one game between the two players:
The game was to consist of two halves—one-on-one, 15 minutes each—in a heavyweight matchup: a pay-per-view special, maybe on HBO, but certainly not NBC, because this wasn’t going to be some regular Sunday afternoon NBA game. This was meant to be a stunt of the highest order, under the bright lights of Las Vegas, the winner set to take home $1 million, with many, many more millions at stake.
Magic Johnson, was 30 years old at the time, Jordan 27. Johnson claims to have come up with the idea. There was some interest from both sides, due largely to the amount of money involved, but negotiations turned into a “headache” for the NBA.
The league did not want to support an event that was so clearly made for gambling, amongst other issues. The gambling theories that surround Jordan have been ubiquitous throughout and past his career, and this event would have provided conspiracy theorists with even more ammo.
The players’ union also had a large role in stopping the event. One of Jordan’s greatest rivals, Isiah Thomas (who was union president at the time), was blamed by some, including Jordan:
“I wonder what Isiah’s position would be if he were playing Magic,” Jordan told the San Francisco Chronicle. “But, of course, if he were playing Magic, no one would want to see it.”
Jordan was annoyed that the union had interfered, but truth be told, he hadn’t intended on participating in the first place; he believed that he was perceived to be a scorer and nothing more, and winning a game of one-on-one wasn’t going to change that, even if it was against Magic Johnson:
[Jordan’s agent David] Falk recalls Jordan saying: “If I win, people will say, ‘So, what do you expect? That’s what Michael is—he’s a one-on-one player.’ And if I lose, then I don’t have the rings or the title. So what’s the point of doing it?”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius Erving, who had both retired, faced off in a similar matchup the following year. The game wasn’t a success; Abdul-Jabbar won 42-23, and the event garnered limited viewership.
