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Charles Barkley, Who Triggered Michael Jordan With His MVP Win, Admits That Nobody Was Expecting MJ and Dennis Rodman At All-Star Game

Published 02/25/2022, 9:58 PM EST

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The NBA gave the fans some of the best moments at the All-Star game 2022. With the room packed with legends for the NBA 75 ceremony, the Cleveland arena was loud. A member of the NBA’s 75 greatest players, Charles Barkley spoke about the All-Star game night. He revealed how the unexpected attendance of Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman sent the Cleveland arena is a frenzy.

The Chicago Bulls remain to be one of the most iconic teams in the NBA. And the main reason boils down to only a couple of players. And for the Cleveland fans, they got a surprise when two of the most famous Bulls stars, Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman, came in for the NBA 75 ceremony. Their arrival had even some of the players on the podium in shock.

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Cleveland goes crazy with Michael Jordan and Rodman’s arrival

During the recent episode of the ‘Steam Room’, Ernie Johnson and Chuck spoke about the memorable night in Cleveland. Guest appearance Dominique Wilkins and Barkley shared their experience of the night and how honored they were to be a part of such an elite group. Moreover, Charles also spoke about how Rodman and Jordan walking out got the crowd going.

He said: “First of all, Dennis and Michael surprised us because they were not in the picture session. When Dennis came out, I was like wow that’s awesome he’s there. And then when Michael came out, because I had just watched Michael on television at the Daytona 500. What I could see up in the tunnel is Magic Johnson. And I said to myself, that’s a great way to finish. And then when Michael showed up the crowd went ballistic. I think the players were glad he was there, I was glad he was there.”

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USA Today via Reuters

Jordan lived his life out on the basketball court for the world to see. After a couple of seasons in the league, Jordan became a global icon. However, after his retirement, his Airness was barely in the public eye. Jordan lives a very private life and is barely in front of fans. Hence, the fans and even Barkley did not expect him to show up at the ceremony.

On the other hand, Dennis Rodman, the two-time DPOY lives a rather public lifestyle. However, with his personality, the players were not expecting to see the best rounder there. But to everyone’s surprise, the Bulls‘ reunion surprised everyone in the building, and the two had some memorable moments during the night. So what did they do exactly?

How the Bulls duo won the All-Star night

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Rodman had to be himself for the night, and he did exactly that. After making his surprise arrival, the former Bulls star took off his NBA 75 jacket and flung it to the side. He then proceeded to get into a picture with stars, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Ray Allen, and Carmelo Anthony. It was a classic Rodman move and something the NBA had missed for a long time.

As for Jordan, he caught up with his rivals, as well as the younger generation. From hugging Luks to calling out Magic, Jordan was the star of the show. However, the best moment of the night came when he and LeBron shared a moment. They had a small talk and Jordan wished him luck for the season.

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READ MORE-Michael Jordan, at His Peak, Was Scared of 7 Ft Legend Hakeem Olajuwon

With the quality and aura of the room, it was the most memorable and iconic event for the NBA in recent years. Which new faces do you think will come in when the NBA reaches a hundred years? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

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Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.
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