ROD HIGGINS RECALLS MICHAEL JORDAN'S REQUEST FOR A SECRET PRACTICE WITH THE WARRIORS: "HE CAME IN AND WE DRESSED HIM OUT IN WARRIOR GEAR"
When Michael Jordan considered making his first NBA comeback, he didn't join Phil Jackson and the Chicago Bulls right away. Instead, Jordan went to the Bay Area and trained with the Golden State Warriors.
Jordan was visiting Golden State when he rang the team's assistant coach at the time, Rod Higgins, to ask for a favor.
“One morning, while Michael was visiting, he calls and asks me … ‘Do you think it’s OK if I practice with you guys?’” Higgins said via the New York Post. “And then I said, ‘I don’t think so, but let me call Nelly and I’ll get back to you.’"
Mike really wore the Warriors' jersey
Higgins was the Bulls' second-round pick in the 1982 NBA Draft, and he caught Michael during his rookie season in Chicago. Rod had two tours of duty with the Warriors, and after he retired, he chose to work for the franchise as an assistant coach.
However, it wasn't his call to allow Jordan to join the team's practices. So Higgins asked coach Don Nelson if there would be any issue if MJ practiced with the team. When Nelly said yes, Mike unofficially became a Warrior for 48 hours.
“He came in, and [then-equipment manager] Eric Housen dressed him out in Warrior gear. He might have given him No. 23, I don’t think anyone was wearing 23 at the time but gave him his wristband to put on his elbow and things of that nature,” added Higgins.
Jordan asked how good Spree was
Before the scrimmage, Jordan asked them how good Latrell Sprewell really was. When they told him Spree was an All-Star, MJ took the five players with the least playing time on the Warriors and played against the regulars. What happened next surprised everyone.
"We thought he was rusty," said Tim Hardaway. "He asked, 'How good is this Sprewell kid?' We were like, 'Uh, he's good, but he's not on your level. But he's good. He's an All-Star.' So when we said he's an All-Star, it seemed like, it took him...' Like okay, let me see if he really is an All-Star.'"
MJ was far from rusty. In fact, Hardaway said the explosive guard played like he never left. After that practice session, Tim said they knew right away that Jordan was coming back. They were right. Not only did he come back, but 'His Airness' went back to the top and won three more NBA championships.
2024-06-15T17:50:52Z dg43tfdfdgfd