The Ryder Cup is always a spectacle, but this year it produced a rare basketball crossover you may not have seen coming. On the sidelines, Cooper Flagg, basketball’s future, met with Michael Jordan, its glowing past, and connected in a way that caught fire online.

The Dallas Mavericks’ rookie #1 pick was spotted in a handshake with Jordan at the tournament, drawing thousands of reactions. For Flagg, an 18-year-old considered the next NBA great, it’s not just a picture, but validation. Standing face-to-face with the icon who defined basketball dominance is definitely a confidence-raising situation for the young star.

However, Jordan wasn’t just at Bethpage Black in New York as a spectator. Previously, the NBA legend had commented on the US team’s chances following a dominating performance from the Europeans. After Tyrrell Hatton sank a 10-foot birdie on hole 13, Jordan issued a blunt declaration: “We got problems.” The Bulls legend has seen enough from yesterday to know that the morning is tilted towards Europe.

Jordan had a lot of reason to say that. Hatton and Jon Rahm had competed well against the US’s Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas until hole 7, when tides started turning in favor of the Europeans. The hole 13 shot marked a three-point lead for Europe, which the Americans never recovered from. Hatton ended the match with a par on hole 15, leading to a 4 and 3 win. This win was just one of three of four matches won by Europe to start the tournament.

Cooper Flagg, caught in the middle of this, is a golf fan himself, with a reported 14 handicap. He previously has spoken about how much he has wanted to play a round with Jordan, and that he is one of three NBA stars that Cooper would like to play a foursome with.

Cooper Flagg’s Clear GOAT Choice Ahead of Draft Night

Cooper Flagg has previously expressed his support of Jordan in one of the most polarizing debates in basketball: Michael Jordan or LeBron James. During a pre-draft interview in the Barclays Center, as the projected top pick in the 2025 draft awaited Adam Silver calling his name, he was asked to give his take.

Flagg replied immediately. “Michael Jordan, for sure,” Flagg told reporters. “That’s the GOAT to me. I don’t know if it was how I was raised by my parents or not, but that’s just my answer.” The comment lit up fans, especially because LeBron had previously hailed as “amazing” by James himself.

This wasn’t Flagg’s first time declaring his allegiances in this debate. In an interview with SLAM magazine, Flagg said, “Michael Jordan. He’s the GOAT,” just after he participated in a team USA Camp in Las Vegas right before the 2024 Olympics, where he scrimmaged against LeBron James and other top NBA talent, including Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard (who he called the greatest defender ever). It’s easy to see now how his meeting with MJ at the Ryder Cup is a full-circle moment for the young forward.