Magic Johnson can still clearly recall the precise moment he and Larry Bird handed Michael Jordan the torch.

Magic Johnson can still clearly recall the precise moment he and Larry Bird handed Michael Jordan the torch.

Magic Johnson and his old adversary Larry Bird controlled the NBA before Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls did. Eight titles were won by Johnson and Bird together in the 1980s, even before Jordan and the Bulls made it to the Finals. Eventually, the decade of the 1990s arrived, and things started to change. In 1991 and 1992, Jordan guided the Bulls to their first and second championships.

At that point, many people considered Jordan to be the greatest player on the planet and he was the face of the NBA.

In Barcelona, Jordan became a member of Team USA’s “Dream Team” alongside Bird, Johnson, and numerous other future Hall of Famers following the 1992 season. By the time the Olympics ended, Jordan had established himself as the NBA’s top dog, even among his peers. Johnson talked about the precise moment he and Bird felt it was time to hand Jordan the symbolic NBA torch during an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” on Monday morning. It happens that during an intersquad scrimmage, that moment occurred.

“You know, [our squad] defeated [Michael’s team] by 10, 12 points. Thus, you know, I had to elevate Michael to the level of ‘Air Jordan,'” stated Johnson. “So I decided to go ahead and trash talk him a little bit and see what would happen, right? And this is when someone passed the torch. ‘Look, M.J., we’re going to blast you guys out if you don’t turn into Air Jordan,’ I said. Never before have I witnessed a man take something so personal and then simply walk out and end the game. Seeing him step up and simply rule the game was incredible. I mean, he was the best at it. At that point, we were aware that.

Although Jordan was skilled enough to let his play speak for him, he never shied away from speaking for himself. Jordan informed Johnson and Bird that he had made it to the top of the mountain after the scrimmage, passing them in the process.

Johnson went on, “But I’m going to tell you the moment that really got us.” “All good, so we returned to the motel. As a result, the NBA constructed a lovely lounge for the players. And so, Michael is smoking his cigar up there. Me sitting there with Larry, sipping on a Coke or something. ‘Guys,’ he exclaimed, placing his hand on both Larry’s and my shoulders. and declared, “Guys, a new sheriff is in town.”

Before the 1992 Olympics, Jordan had actually assumed the mantle of the best player in history. If anything, his play in Barcelona—even during practice sessions—solidified his place as the world’s greatest player and made his infamously competitive peers acknowledge they had been outperformed.