“It was so much chaos going on after we all kind of split, I did not want to lose the opportunity to shake the man’s hand that inspired me throughout my childhood,” James said in his postgame press conference. “Haven’t had much dialogue with him in my 19 years in this business, but part of me wouldn’t be here without MJ’s inspiration. I always wanted to be like him growing up. It’s crazy that the game-winning shot tonight was a fadeaway, and it was inspired by MJ … I didn’t want to waste that opportunity because we’re just not in the same building a lot. We haven’t been in the same building a lot throughout my career and it meant something to me.”
For one night, it was not about barbershop debates. It was not about pitting two Black men against one another. It was about Black men celebrating each other’s greatness. In 2021, James became the first American team-sport athlete to reach billionaire status while still active. Jordan reportedly became a billionaire after buying the Charlotte Hornets.
