Celtics Legend Says Michael Jordan Was on “Same Level” as NBA Rookie After Bulls Exit

The turn of the new century in 2001 brought the dawn of a new Michael Jordan. It was three years after his second retirement, and things changed rapidly. He was no longer with Chicago, the team that he led to three successful three-peats. Instead, he was in the state capital, Washington, which also involved managing the front office duties. The Bulls Jordan and the Wizards Jordan were a different experience. Some players didn’t expect the latter to play out, including Paul Pierce.

The Truth came into the league in ’98; by that time, MJ had already retired. So, like many, PP had the regret of not facing the player whom he watched while growing up “He (MJ) went to Washington. That’s when I got to play against him, cuz he retired the year I came in. It was a couple things that happened when I came into the league. Jordan retired and the Lakers moved out of The Forum to the Staples because I wanted to play in The Forum…That was like the two biggest disappointments of my like, getting drafted, not being able to play in The Forum, and not being against playing against Jordan, Bulls Jordan.”

While speaking to former Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman on his podcast, Pierce also explained about playing against the Wizards’ Jordan and why it was different. “But I played against him in Washington… I mean, it wasn’t the same, you know. He wasn’t he didn’t have that mystique. He didn’t have that. No, he didn’t have the athleticism. No, but because Bulls Jordan was like scary.”

Michael Jordan was 38 when he made his final comeback to the NBA. Naturally, he wouldn’t be at his best agility-wise. Which Pierce pointed out. ” Yeah. I felt like I was on the same level as Jordan in Washington, you know, as a young kid. So, but he was still Jordan. You still looked at him like Jordan. It just didn’t — he didn’t, he didn’t have that bounce. You know what I’m saying? Like that that aura and then they wasn’t the Bulls. They was dominating everybody.”

The same level analogy is not disrespectful but backed by stats. They faced each other 6 times and averaged the same 22.5 points per game. MJ was ahead on rebounds and steals, 9.5 and 2.2, respectively, while PP was ahead on assists and blocks, 5.2 and 1.3. By domination, it means that His Airness would drop  31.5 points per game during his Bulls tenure.

But it wasn’t the same with the Wizards. Yet, he morphed his game with one dribble and counted on his scoring ability. The result of which he ended scoring more than 20 points on average in both those seasons, also earning his All-Star stripes. That’s why Paul Pierce still has fond memories of facing MJ during his final run in the NBA.

Despite not being ‘scary Michael Jordan,’ PP got a reality check

Can a 38-year-old hoop? The answer was a resounding Yes! Despite the new blood coming and showing off their skills, MJ could hold his own ground. That realization set in when the new guard faced the 6x NBA champion. One such instance was when Pierce faced Jordan and recalled, “Yep, still talking s—.” Meaning, His Airness was ready for the challenge. During the conversation with Kevin Garnett, teammate Paul Pierce further explained how the first battle ended.

“Mike gave me 32. What’d I have? Damn, 14? Damn. He gave us 32.” Despite Michael Jordan and The Truth averaging the same in their six encounters, in the first, MJ showed out like he was still part of the Bulls team. MJ finished with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists, showcasing that even in the twilight of his career, he was capable of putting up vintage numbers. On the other hand, PP had 14 points and 5 rebounds.

That’s why the experience of playing against Jordan is still vivid and fresh. Pierce concluded on Edelman’s podcast, “Yeah. It was cool to just play against him, though, and then be in the All-Star game with him.”