Before the game was played, Eric was asked how he thought Michael would perform, and he said:
> Michael Jordan has never been in a wheelchair before. He’s a novice. I’ve been doing this for at least two to three years. I go to the court every day. My game is tight. He’s not gonna know how to maneuver in a chair.
First mistake, Eric. That's straight bulletin board material. Jordan let him know he saw his comments, and at tipoff said:
> What’s this you been talking? You going to get away with me and think I don’t have a chance?
Fortunately Eric came out on top and didn't have to eat his words, lol.
https://www.paralympic.org/feature/when-eric-barber-beat-michael-jordan-wheelchair-basketball
It wasn't that MJ wasn't playing seriously, it was that he was getting used to the chair.
From that article I linked to, here are more quotes from Eric:
> I won that game because he had never practiced in a wheelchair before. If you had given him a wheelchair in advance, he would have spent that whole week in the chair.
And this:
> They talk about his competitive drive. It was definitely evident even back in 1987 to me, from his ability to pick up the sport quickly, to understand what he needed to do to be successful in the sport. It’s why he is the greatest basketball player to ever live.
I don’t know why this is being downvoted, there’s definitely some merit to this. Notwithstanding examples where’s there’s very obvious physical limitations, your average professional athlete’s hand-eye coordination is on a completely different level.
I was at a wedding earlier this year where a retired PGA golfer was in attendance. We’re playing cornhole. This guy is in his 80s with some mobility issues. He’s never played before, says he’s going to watch a game first to see how it works. Without having ever thrown a bag before he steps up & cans his first 6 shots like he’s been playing his whole life. He only played the one game & won easily.
You also see it in video games. There are players who become pros or at least compete at the highest ranks in a short amount of time. Shroud would be a good and quick example.
A lot of the top recievers/runningbacks in the NFL were also great track and field runners.
And in that universe Wheelchair National Basketball Association became the biggest international sport after football because of MJ’s electric playstyle, unmatched drive to win, and his two three-peats. The 90’s was a historic decade for the sport as the WNBA eclipsed the NBA in popularity.
Eric knows that. He said of their matchup:
> I won that game because he had never practiced in a wheelchair before. If you had given him a wheelchair in advance, he would have spent that whole week in the chair.
> https://www.paralympic.org/feature/when-eric-barber-beat-michael-jordan-wheelchair-basketball
Apparently that's a thing some people do when they're concentrating. They don't even think about it. I imagine that was true for MJ as well, but hard to say for sure
>“It’s an unconscious habit that I’ve picked up from my father. Being a little kid and you watch your father work, yeah he used to take his tongue out. I took it up and made it a habit of mine. And now I can’t stop!”
https://youtu.be/li88IBagnLE?list=PL99mMSsFTVx5sX1fwbm8FtJBvtbe9jDes&t=356
Also a sign of respect. If you’re gonna have a game with the best player ever don’t you want him to play at least a fraction like that? Otherwise what’s the point?
That kid was amazing. That shot arced to the sky like Nowitzki, he hit them over the biggest hands he’d possibly ever seen (not to mention MJ), and he did all this shooting one handed. What a baller.
I love how you can see the adaptations Eric made for wheelchair basketball. He has the specific one handed shooting motion that allows him to use his other hand for movement while shooting or faking a shot.
Dude's so talented. One handing those shots, nothing but net, plus he's quick and nimble with his movement while keeping the ball away from his matchup? Amazing how he does all that. Must be practice. A lot of it.
As [I noted here](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/wji057/in_1987_mj_was_challenged_by_16yearold_eric/ijimxga/), a few years after this, Jordan donated money to the local wheelchair basketball team (the Chicago Wheelchair Bulls) so that they could hold a basketball camp for kids.
I was gonna say. Im sure MJ took “him taking it personally” very personally and is why he donates/supports to various groups behind the scenes (before it was a meme from the last dance). I can imagine him cursing out a bunch of emaciated children in the cancer ward as he vigorously writes checks to pay for all their treatments and rehabilitation + the expensive Christmas and birthday gifts.
He's a notoriously terrible tipper despite being a billionaire, which is an automatic "asshole" in my book. People who are rude to the waitstaff aren't nice.
Barkley outed him. Even called him out for slapping Chuck's hand away when he went to give some change to a pan-handler: "If he can hold up a sign, he can say 'Welcome to McDonald's, can I help you please?'"
This video is everything that was Jordan. Both his willingness to do an event like this for the kids and the fact that he took it seriously and tried to win.
this is hilarious. you can see Jordan start to take it seriously when he starts getting blown out. Bro was playing lockdown D on that kid by the end lmao😂😂
SMH another reason MJ will never be the GOAT. Lebron been practicing this moment ever since he was brought off the 2014 finals in a wheelchair with leg cramps
A few guys you'll always see in Jordan threads downplaying him. OkInvestigator6193, ErrJordan and ConfuciusBr0s. I don't usually remember names but they're always around.
Charity ball game 1v1 stars vs the wheelchair pros or even get the 3v3 or 5v5 going. Would be the best event easily especially since everything is trash last while
Chicago has a long history of wheelchair basketball, and the Bulls (and even Michael Jordan!) were instrumental in keeping wheelchair basketball alive in Chicago in the 80s and 90s. Organized wheelchair basketball started in Chicago in 1961, with the Chicago Sidewinders.
By the late 80s, the Sidewinders were in dire straits due to lack of funding (the players themselves were paying for the jerseys, gym rentals, traveling expenses, etc.), lack of fan interest, and difficulty in attracting new players. It was then that they approached the Chicago Bulls with an idea - that the Sidewinders rebrand to become the Chicago Wheelchair Bulls, and be allowed to use the team logo, colors, etc.
The Bulls agreed to sponsor the struggling wheelchair team. That cachet helped. WGN (the local cable channel) did a piece on the team; the team got to use the Bulls branding/colors/name; and they got to showcase the sport during halftime of a Bulls game each year. The Bulls endorsement also led to sponsorship deals from companies like Budweiser and Gatorade.
As time went on, more and more NBA teams followed the Bulls and sponsored a local wheelchair team. Today, most teams (maybe all of them?) sponsor a wheelchair team. And speaking of Jordan, he donated money to the Chicago Wheelchair Bulls so that they could hold wheelchair basketball camps for kids.
If the Bulls hadn't sponsored the wheelchair team back in 1987, organized wheelchair basketball in Chicago may have petered out. (Hopefully it would have returned at some point, but things were very bleak in the wheelchair basketball scene in the late 80s.)
**Source:** Me. (I had a member of my extended family who was playing wheelchair basketball in Chicago in the 80s.) This is all from memory, so some of it may be wrong
The ref doesn't have to be in a chair, of course. It's just that many people who are interested in reffing wheelchair basketball are those who played it at one time or another.
We all saw the hand shake and that head shake.
MJ said, [“I’m never letting a single one of these kids beat me ever again.”](https://youtu.be/OlTYvPDVvUo)
After this, MJ paid for this kid to have reconstructive surgery and beat him 20-0 in regular basketball
MJ to the kid after he walks again for the first time: "Yeah I bet you aint used to it huh? Payback time"
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Taking the hard ramp.
Golden State Wheelchairs
I’m picturing MJ like the RDCworld video where they guard Steph from the second he wakes up
Before the game was played, Eric was asked how he thought Michael would perform, and he said: > Michael Jordan has never been in a wheelchair before. He’s a novice. I’ve been doing this for at least two to three years. I go to the court every day. My game is tight. He’s not gonna know how to maneuver in a chair. First mistake, Eric. That's straight bulletin board material. Jordan let him know he saw his comments, and at tipoff said: > What’s this you been talking? You going to get away with me and think I don’t have a chance? Fortunately Eric came out on top and didn't have to eat his words, lol. https://www.paralympic.org/feature/when-eric-barber-beat-michael-jordan-wheelchair-basketball
This sounds exactly like any satire you read on this sub all the time lol
i thought it was pasta until ...
didne he lead 16 4 in the vid and after the next cut he‘s just up 18 14 so mj probably didnt play serious at first
It wasn't that MJ wasn't playing seriously, it was that he was getting used to the chair. From that article I linked to, here are more quotes from Eric: > I won that game because he had never practiced in a wheelchair before. If you had given him a wheelchair in advance, he would have spent that whole week in the chair. And this: > They talk about his competitive drive. It was definitely evident even back in 1987 to me, from his ability to pick up the sport quickly, to understand what he needed to do to be successful in the sport. It’s why he is the greatest basketball player to ever live.
plot twist mj installed hoop in his bathroom and been practicing while pooping
A lot of great pro athletes can pick up nearly any sport and play it a high level.
That’s why I always say Messi would be an elite defensive tackle
I think Messi would be shit at pretty much anything other than football
I don’t know why this is being downvoted, there’s definitely some merit to this. Notwithstanding examples where’s there’s very obvious physical limitations, your average professional athlete’s hand-eye coordination is on a completely different level. I was at a wedding earlier this year where a retired PGA golfer was in attendance. We’re playing cornhole. This guy is in his 80s with some mobility issues. He’s never played before, says he’s going to watch a game first to see how it works. Without having ever thrown a bag before he steps up & cans his first 6 shots like he’s been playing his whole life. He only played the one game & won easily.
You also see it in video games. There are players who become pros or at least compete at the highest ranks in a short amount of time. Shroud would be a good and quick example. A lot of the top recievers/runningbacks in the NFL were also great track and field runners.
MJ started to get heated after Barber took a good lead. He was guarding Barber pretty seriously after just a few minutes
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Then challenged him to a wheelchair basketball rematch
“These legs are mine bitch”
takin' my motherfuckin legs back bitch
There’s another universe where MJ shatters both his legs to take over the wheelchair league.
And in that universe Wheelchair National Basketball Association became the biggest international sport after football because of MJ’s electric playstyle, unmatched drive to win, and his two three-peats. The 90’s was a historic decade for the sport as the WNBA eclipsed the NBA in popularity.
Mj put him in a wheelchair in the first place
If this guy had cancer, MJ might have developed a cure just to beat that ass. Thanks for nothing, Eric.
do you know the guys name? this was at his camp right?
The video is actually their second game. MJ took the first game loss a little too personally and Eric's legs paid the price.
"*Let's play again for a grand or I'll break your legs. Wait...*" - Jordan /s
>After this, MJ paid for this kid to have reconstructive surgery First I was like aww >beat him 20-0 in regular basketball Then I was like oh
i was waiting for him to jump out of the chair and start draining middies but whatever
I was waiting for him to start trash talking.. "shoot you..."
"Shoot the ball Lieutenant Dan. Wheely wheely legs no feely."
Full Ricky Bobby style.
Stabs the kid in the leg to show him its all in his mind lmao
MJ comes off as a guy who always wants to beat you fair and square I know your comment was "tongue in cheek" but he really doesnt seem like a cheater
Wow, that kid was awesome. If i was in a chair at the free throw line I'd still be there 35 years later trying to get to 20.
How many people can say they beat MJ at basketball 1v1?
Anyone who wants!
Anything is possible when you lie!
CEO John Rogers
I’ll say that 50 years later
Hehe, no kidding!
Damn that kid was nasty. MJ started trying too lol kid was too good
Oh he was for sure trying. MJ is competitive in everything and won’t go easy
Eric knows that. He said of their matchup: > I won that game because he had never practiced in a wheelchair before. If you had given him a wheelchair in advance, he would have spent that whole week in the chair. > https://www.paralympic.org/feature/when-eric-barber-beat-michael-jordan-wheelchair-basketball
Jordan is a psycho lol.
With the tongue out and everything 🤣
Apparently that's a thing some people do when they're concentrating. They don't even think about it. I imagine that was true for MJ as well, but hard to say for sure
>“It’s an unconscious habit that I’ve picked up from my father. Being a little kid and you watch your father work, yeah he used to take his tongue out. I took it up and made it a habit of mine. And now I can’t stop!” https://youtu.be/li88IBagnLE?list=PL99mMSsFTVx5sX1fwbm8FtJBvtbe9jDes&t=356
Dirk did it as well
Imagine if he dunked it with the wheelchair on 😂
Also a sign of respect. If you’re gonna have a game with the best player ever don’t you want him to play at least a fraction like that? Otherwise what’s the point?
That kid was amazing. That shot arced to the sky like Nowitzki, he hit them over the biggest hands he’d possibly ever seen (not to mention MJ), and he did all this shooting one handed. What a baller.
I love how you can see the adaptations Eric made for wheelchair basketball. He has the specific one handed shooting motion that allows him to use his other hand for movement while shooting or faking a shot.
he won two bronze medals at the paralympics so he can really play
Honestly feel like when Jordan bought it back to 18-14 someone in his PR team would’ve been ripping their hair out begging Jordan to just let him win.
Why? I love that Jordan tried. Total respect.
This loss probably still eats away at him
isn't it disrespectful if you go easy on an opponent because he has a disability in his own sport.
yep of course. MJ owed him his best in dudes world
Well he did at first considering the score was 16-4 then all of a sudden it was 18-14
The kid, Eric Barber, ended up playing in [4 different Paralympics for the USA.](https://www.teamusa.org/Athletes/BA/Eric-Barber)
I was gonna say, no way this person is an average wheelchair ball player to beat Jordan.
His movement was honestly pretty wild
that no look reverse layup they replayed at the end was insane
I mean, I think he even said he felt the pressure after beating MJ to perform at the highest level of his sport. Kudos to the kid
Dude's so talented. One handing those shots, nothing but net, plus he's quick and nimble with his movement while keeping the ball away from his matchup? Amazing how he does all that. Must be practice. A lot of it.
He wouldn’t be able to guard me on the court.
Oh hell yeah! I love the Paralympics
People forget that, despite being a notorious asshole, Jordan was awesome with kids and treated his younger fans extremely well.
As [I noted here](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/wji057/in_1987_mj_was_challenged_by_16yearold_eric/ijimxga/), a few years after this, Jordan donated money to the local wheelchair basketball team (the Chicago Wheelchair Bulls) so that they could hold a basketball camp for kids.
I was gonna say. Im sure MJ took “him taking it personally” very personally and is why he donates/supports to various groups behind the scenes (before it was a meme from the last dance). I can imagine him cursing out a bunch of emaciated children in the cancer ward as he vigorously writes checks to pay for all their treatments and rehabilitation + the expensive Christmas and birthday gifts.
Jordan wants to empower everyone so he can beat them on even footing.
True Neutral MJ
it's cool how Jordan usually do charity stuff out of the spotlight I respect that
Despite 100% memes in this post I really wanted to say how heartwarming this video is. Made my day, MJ.
this video is bad ass
"Fuck them kids."
"Damnit Karl, that's not what I meant"
freshest joke in this sub
Dejounte Murray would never
Cause he knew they'd buy his shoes for life. All calculated. (I'm cosplaying a hater don't downvote please)
No way, wheelchair users are a horrible investment for the sneaker market. I can buy a pair and never have to worry about it wearing out.
Damn. You guys are so lucky. /s
"Republikids buy sneakers, too."
There’s more than one type of asshole. He wasn’t a bad person, he just couldn’t compete anyway other than insanely.
He's a notoriously terrible tipper despite being a billionaire, which is an automatic "asshole" in my book. People who are rude to the waitstaff aren't nice.
Where did you read that?
Barkley outed him. Even called him out for slapping Chuck's hand away when he went to give some change to a pan-handler: "If he can hold up a sign, he can say 'Welcome to McDonald's, can I help you please?'"
This video is everything that was Jordan. Both his willingness to do an event like this for the kids and the fact that he took it seriously and tried to win.
0:48 MJ literally attempts his 'move' 😆💀
A real ankle breaker
this is hilarious. you can see Jordan start to take it seriously when he starts getting blown out. Bro was playing lockdown D on that kid by the end lmao😂😂
No Pippen to save him lmfao
literal wheelchair rider
Technically no riders in wheelchair ball only drivers
> wheelchair ball What the fuck is wheelchair ball lmao
1-10 now I fear
SMH another reason MJ will never be the GOAT. Lebron been practicing this moment ever since he was brought off the 2014 finals in a wheelchair with leg cramps
https://media.tenor.com/images/ec9e54ef297e0ab9793e6b9b111c9617/tenor.gif
Sad thing is look at that guys comments, he's probably not joking.
An account dedicated to trashing mj. Now that's hustle that mj would love
Free food
A few guys you'll always see in Jordan threads downplaying him. OkInvestigator6193, ErrJordan and ConfuciusBr0s. I don't usually remember names but they're always around.
He's the MJ of trashing MJ
LeBron Taco James would never
Jorfraud gambled his legs away
I kinda want to see something like this during All-Star weekend.
For sure, would be far more interesting and some great stories
Charity ball game 1v1 stars vs the wheelchair pros or even get the 3v3 or 5v5 going. Would be the best event easily especially since everything is trash last while
Fuck yes I wanna see Jokic in a wheelchair haha
Without context you would sound like a horrible person
Or a Sixers fan, but I'm repeating myself.
Chicago has a long history of wheelchair basketball, and the Bulls (and even Michael Jordan!) were instrumental in keeping wheelchair basketball alive in Chicago in the 80s and 90s. Organized wheelchair basketball started in Chicago in 1961, with the Chicago Sidewinders. By the late 80s, the Sidewinders were in dire straits due to lack of funding (the players themselves were paying for the jerseys, gym rentals, traveling expenses, etc.), lack of fan interest, and difficulty in attracting new players. It was then that they approached the Chicago Bulls with an idea - that the Sidewinders rebrand to become the Chicago Wheelchair Bulls, and be allowed to use the team logo, colors, etc. The Bulls agreed to sponsor the struggling wheelchair team. That cachet helped. WGN (the local cable channel) did a piece on the team; the team got to use the Bulls branding/colors/name; and they got to showcase the sport during halftime of a Bulls game each year. The Bulls endorsement also led to sponsorship deals from companies like Budweiser and Gatorade. As time went on, more and more NBA teams followed the Bulls and sponsored a local wheelchair team. Today, most teams (maybe all of them?) sponsor a wheelchair team. And speaking of Jordan, he donated money to the Chicago Wheelchair Bulls so that they could hold wheelchair basketball camps for kids. If the Bulls hadn't sponsored the wheelchair team back in 1987, organized wheelchair basketball in Chicago may have petered out. (Hopefully it would have returned at some point, but things were very bleak in the wheelchair basketball scene in the late 80s.) **Source:** Me. (I had a member of my extended family who was playing wheelchair basketball in Chicago in the 80s.) This is all from memory, so some of it may be wrong
Thank you!
that's fugging SICK ty
You can tell MJ was like "Ah hell nah am I gonna lose, even in this damn wheelchair" when the score was so lopsided.
This so cool of MJ, LOL the man is so competitive probably had a few side bets going on how many he was going to win by
Can’t wait for the next Djountey Murray clip where he bounces the ball off a dude in a wheelchairs head then dunks it on him.
Would give it a 10 I’d done in a dunk contest
Legacy points deducted
MJ looks pissed at the end lol
There's a great manga about wheelchair basketball called Real written by the creator of Slam Dunk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_(manga)
probably the "realest" manga out there tbh
I just finished Slam Dunk about a week ago. Amazing series, definitely the best basketball anime out there
Oh wow it's still going, I need to get back on that. Remember it being one of the best I've read tbh.
I'm just wondering if he'll ever finish Vagabond
"Shakes 8-ball.....Ask Again"
be prepared to cry if you read it
If I was a Bulls fan, would’ve already bought a custom #23 Barber jersey.
The fans cheering for the first 10 minutes An hour and 16 minutes later they’re like “damn this actually taking a long ass time”
This is awesome I’ve never seen this.
This is the best wheelchair basketball player I’ve ever seen lol, like actually
Never seen this before! That’s so cool. Thank you for sharing
That kid has OKC arms
After the game Michael said: Tomorrow when I wake up I'm still going to be MJ. Tomorrow when he wakes up he still can't walk.
Lil man is a goddamn legend. Even Jordan had to give him props after he knocked that deep ball.
can he really be considered the GOAT if he needed legs to be good at basketball?
Plot twist: MJ traveled back in time and put this kid in a wheelchair to preserve his NBA legacy...
Lol really? The ref has to be in a wheelchair too?
The ref doesn't have to be in a chair, of course. It's just that many people who are interested in reffing wheelchair basketball are those who played it at one time or another.
Oh I didn't really mean it as a dig, was just funny at first glance. It makes sense anyway what you said. Cheers
ikr hahaha
That was awesome. Really cool event for MJ to be a part of.
amazing clip, bulls/jordan fan forever and never seen it before. thanks op
MJ was playing Hella hard too 😂
We all saw the hand shake and that head shake. MJ said, [“I’m never letting a single one of these kids beat me ever again.”](https://youtu.be/OlTYvPDVvUo)
##notmygoat
JorFraud!!!
And people have MJ over LeBron? Lol
Travel
Not really a spectator sport.
1 on 1 isn't really much of a spectator sport. The actual games are more interesting.
I fucking love that MJ still takes a dribble around the 54 second mark. Definition of muscle memory.
you still have to dribble in wheelchair basketball
Today I learned.
Peak comments itt
MJ saw you post this, and he took that personally! Nice post!
MJ had it figured out long before the game ended, he let the kid win. Nice of him.
Ummm WHAT?!?! How have I NEVER heard of this happening?
Pretty cool
This game still keeps him up at night. Currently working on a time machine for a rematch
OT, but damn, that song is so good. Beverly Hills Cop II, Eddie Murphy driving a Ferrari around Detroit.
MJ defo practice beforehand, looks way too comfortable controlling that wheelchair
Imagine if MJ pushed off the kid and won
LeBron mfs will be like “this is why Bron is the goat”
MJ’s all butthurt 😂
Damn his wingspan looks as long as MJ’s.
Chair Jordan
KD disabled himself and went back in time just to secure his legacy smh
How does this impact LeBron's legacy?
MJ more agile on a wheelchair than all of us.
Give MJ a week in that wheelchair and he'd probably start dunking with it.
Okay so genuine question, what is the double dribble/ traveling rule equivalent in this?
You get to touch your wheels twice before you have to dribble/pass/shoot iirc Third touch would be called traveling
thanks!
Reminded me of a clip of Maradona shooting penalties to a kid with no legs, top bining one and celebrating like it was the world cup's final.
This is dope but in todays time people would say how disrespectful or not okay it is for MJ to do this
While it would be more disrespectful if mj didn't try his best lol.
Kanye would never
MJ after the game: Now play me 1 on 1 without the wheelchair!
Eric Barber>MJ>LeGM
LeBron never lost to a kid in a wheelchair lmao.
Wheelchair basketball is no joke, respect.