When O.J. Mayo was a high school phenom, he made the mistake of shit-talking Michael Jordan at one of Jordan's summer camps. Jordan was a few years north of 40 and well into his (permanent) retirement, but because he's Michael Jordan, he wasn't about to let such insolence from some young buck stand. So Jordan issued a challenge, and then he dropped the mic.
Larry Brown Sports got hold of the video you see above. It was recorded in either 2005 or 2006, which would have been two or three years after Jordan's last NBA game, when he was either 42 or 43 years old. But here's the backstory.
Jordan told the tale of schooling Mayo in a promotional video for something or other that was released the other day. Mayo has since done a video interview with the Milwaukee Bucks' website in which he confirmed Jordan's account, with a few fantastic details:
“I happened to be the only high school player [at the camp]. It was mainly freshmen in college. So [Jordan] came on the court and he guarded me, so instantly I was, like, ‘Man, he must think I’m not the strong link over here.’ So I got it going a little bit. Obviously, it’s any ballplayer’s dream to play against Mike. I couldn’t tell you how many times I did his move ...
“I got a few buckets and I think the campers knew I was only a high school kid, and so they got rowdy a little bit. We got a little bit of jawing. We played two games—I think we split one and one; it was a team game. And then he said, ‘OK, now let me handle my business.’ And he looked me in my face and I said, ‘Well, what do you mean?’
“He said ‘I need all the campers and everybody to leave. Let’s clear the gym.’ And I said , ‘Oh man.’ So we continued playing pickup, and Mike was Mike. He was jawing a little bit and really getting into me defensively. He was backing me down. He said, ‘You better scream for momma. Mom-ma, mom-ma! He hit the famous fadeaway on me. And then I said, ‘OK, OK, you got it going.’
“He said, ‘Hey, young fella, let me tell you something. You may be the best high school player in the world, but I’m the greatest ever. Don’t you ever disrespect the great like that.’
Just look at that video. The first clip, according to Larry Brown Sports, is from a game in front of the whole camp. The rest are from one of the pickup games after the gym was cleared out. Jordan is pissed. That fadeaway jumper at the end is just too much. It's as if the camp were at the Pontiac Silverdome and the teenaged Mayo were Vinny Johnson trying to stick him. Sheesh. Michael Jordan really needs a hobby.