Who Is Eric Barber? The 16-Year-Old Who Beat Michael Jordan at Basketball in a Wheelchair: ?When We?re on the Court, We?re Going to Fight?

Millions of fans around the world consider NBA legend Michael Jordan, the GOAT of the game. Over the course of his illustrious career, Jordan has won 6 NBA titles, 5 Finals MVP awards, and 5 NBA MVP awards. He was a global icon who helped popularise the game of basketball around the world.

Fans around the world love him for his killer instincts and competitive nature. And he has repeatedly displayed both whenever it is required. It doesn’t matter who he’s playing against, he always goes hard for the win.

Not surprisingly enough, we have even seen him being competitive while playing against kids in his camps. In 1987, Jordan had to play a 16-year-old, Eric Barber, one-on-one on TV. Most fans would side with MJ when it comes to one-on-one. However, this was different. Eric Barber was born with scoliosis and lost both of his legs at the age of three.

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He continued to play basketball in a wheelchair after losing both his legs and during treatment. Barber asked the Bulls star to play against him, which Michael Jordan accepted. However, the only catch is MJ had to play in a wheelchair.

Michael Jordan plays wheelchair basketball

NBA fans know all too well about the competitiveness of ‘Air Jordan’. He is always up for a challenge and doesn’t go easy on anyone. And that was exactly the case when he played in a wheelchair. Barber, on the other hand, was confident he can beat the NBA superstar. MJ said, “I’m not scared at all by him. He can say whatever he wants on television, but when we’re on the court, we’re going to fight…”

The game began, and the first to get 20 points wins. And initially, it didn’t go in favor of Jordan, as Barber took a 16-4 lead. Quite clearly, MJ struggled to play in a wheelchair. However, he finally got the hang of it and tried to mount a comeback. But it wasn’t enough and Barber won the game 20-14. Later, Michael Jordan congratulated him after the game.

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Eric Barber then went on to win multiple medals for the country. He has won two Paralympic medals in the 2000 and 2012 Paralympic Games. Barber has also won Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in 2002, 2006, and 2010 IWBF World Championships, respectively.

When Jordan played Barber, he was in his 3rd season in the NBA with the Bulls. The season prior was marked by injuries as he only played 18 games. However, he came back strong and showed the world what he is about. Jordan averaged a mindboggling 37.1 points per game in 82 games in the 1987 season. This led to his first-ever NBA MVP award.