Since retiring, Jordan has shunned the spotlight—yet rumors say he still hits the gym at 62. Even at 62, ex‑teammates swear he could still school today’s Hornets in one‑on‑one. Even in his 50s, MJ claimed that he would be able to defeat Charlotte Hornets players in one-on-one games. So, when an NFL legend urged a bold challenge, a former NBA player subtly warned him. However, despite the risks, the former Cincinnati Bengals star seems all up for it.
Very few can boast of winning one-on-one against Michael Jordan. Not even all his former teammates can claim such a feat! Scottie Pippen might be one. And another iconic man to have achieved such a feat is a lesser-known millionaire. While Chad Johnson hasn’t claimed that he would win, he has shown immense interest in a one-on-one game against the legend.
On the May 2025 Nightcap podcast, hosted by Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson and guest Charles Oakley, Johnson found the perfect moment to express his wish. He had challenged Russell Westbrook, too. “I need you to do me a small favor. I need you to tell Jordan. I need to get a one-on-one with him. don’t want no excuses. I don’t want to hear nothing. We can go to 11. I’ll spot him five right now,” Johnson said, wagering a mighty $5. That’s a bold one!
However, Oakley, who played alongside Jordan for a brief time, had a hilarious response. “I ain’t counting your game out, I’m just saying he stay ready for the moment so you know he got a couple pair of shoes, wouldn’t that be a good one though,” Oakley said. Well, to defeat the 14x NBA All-Star, one has to be as skilled as the basketball legend or be John Rogers.
Texas financier John Rogers first bested Jordan in 2003’s Senior Flight School camp in Vegas. This was when the Bulls legend had just retired from basketball. During the camp, participants had the opportunity to play against Jordan, and one-on-one matchups were included. This was Rogers’s third time attending the camp. During his one-on-one with Jordan, he managed to defeat him as the crowd watched in awe.
Jun 12, 1991; Los Angeles, CA, USA: FILE PHOTO; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan hugs the championship trophy as he celebrates winning the 1991 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers at The Forum. The Bulls defeated the Lakers 108-101 in game5 and won the series 4-1. Mandatory Credit: MPS-USA TODAY Sports
There was some tension when Jordan and Rogers were tied at 2-2, but the latter ultimately won with the moment captured on camera forever. Not to forget, Rogers was five years older than Jordan. Speaking of physicality, he was six inches shorter. To be fair, it wasn’t that the Texan had no credible basketball experience. Rogers had earlier played for Princeton during his college days. So the question now is, will Johnson be able to pull off a similar feat?
In another recent episode, both hosts of the show recalled their first encounter with Jordan.
Star-struck Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson recounted their first encounter with Michael Jordan
David Beckham, Denzel Washington, and the list of celebrities Shannon Sharpe has met is quite long. And among them is the Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan. However, the NFL legend recently recalled that meeting “His Airness” was an entirely different experience. He even went as far as to call him “mythical.”
In early 1993, at the Georgia Dome during Super Bowl XXVII week, Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe made what he thought would be a routine elevator ride, only to step into a near‑religious encounter. By that time, Jordan had already established himself as one of the elite basketball stars with two NBA titles. He was yet to add the third title to his résumé. He was a global icon already. And for Sharpe, he did feel the blinding aura during the moment.
As the doors slid open, Sharpe found himself face‑to‑face with Michael Jordan and then‑wife Juanita Vanoy. “I get on the elevator and all of a sudden it’s bright,” Sharpe recalled. “It’s like he’s glowing. He’s the only man that I’ve ever met—he seems mythical. I know that’s Michael Jordan…he levitates,” the NFL legend said. Sharpe later told this story to Chad Johnson on their Nightcap podcast, noting that even Shaquille O’Neal and other legends describe Jordan as almost unworldly.
AsFor Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, the first brush with Jordan came on a golf course rather than a hardwood floor. “Met him at a charity golf tournament,” Johnson said, “I didn’t say much—he was smoking a cigar, I walked up, shook his hand, said ‘It’s a pleasure,’ and I kept it moving.” Like everyone else, Johnson was struck silent meeting Jordan on the golf course, cigar in hand.
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