Unfortunately, we never got to see two of the greatest NBA players of all-time go head-to-head.
At the age of 40, Michael Jordan played the last game of his Hall of Fame career on April 16, 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards. The next day, Jordan announced that he was retiring for the third and final time with six championships, five MVP awards and 14 All-Star selections to his name.
"It's tough to play a game when it's not quite as much emphasis on the game other than to see how Michael Jordan ends his career," Jordan said following a 107-87 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, in which he scored 15 points in 28 minutes of action.
"I am not embarrassed, but I've had better feelings in terms of playing a competitive game. This is new to me, to be playing a game that didn't have any meaning. Normally, we're fighting for playoff position or something like that."
Two months later, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected LeBron James with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He made his NBA debut on Oct. 29, 2003, less than a year after Jordan decided to walk away from the game for good.
It was only a couple of years prior that Jordan and James met for the first time. Jordan was 38 years old and James was still in high school.
"It was godly," James said about meeting Jordan for the first time.
"I've said that over and over before, but it was like meeting God for the first time. That's what I felt like as a 16-year-old kid when I met MJ."
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