Storytime: Kendall Gill talks about the time Michael Jordan shut up Jimmy Jackson by pointing at JJ's shoes

During the Heat and Nets summer league game, Kendall Gill (Chicago product and underrated player who has been accused of being a Michael Jordan "wanna-be" a few times during his early NBA days) told an amusing story from his Nets days about the time Michael Jordan ethered a trash talking Jimmy Jackson.

So the story takes place during Jimmy Jackson's temporary stop with the Nets (he's played for 12 different teams) in 97.  It's the final game between them and the future championship Bulls and just 2 weeks after the Nets came away with a 1 point victory over MJ, who scored 36 points, and the Bulls in New Jersey.  Jackson is off to a hot start and has 20+ points on MJ in the first half (I can't confirm this) and starts to talk trash with the GOAT of trash-talking. Jordan responds by saying “You know, you’re talking a lot of stuff to have my shoes on.”

Jim_Jackson_pregame
Nice Gatorade towel

Jackson did end up winning the one-on-one statistical battle, outscoring Jordan 33 to 21 and hitting 10 of 18 shots while Jordan only made 9 of 21 shots, but the most painful shot Jordan delivered in that game was a verbal one not a field goal. To pour salt on the wound, the Bulls also won the game by 10.

Next stop on the Jimmy Jackson NBA tour was Philly where he teamed up with a rookie Allen Iverson. In their 1st meeting with the Bulls, they only had to deal with  Jordan for 24 minutes since they were losing 49 to 79 after 3 quarters.  Jackson and Iverson scored 13 points each but atleast Iverson had his own shoe.

As for the storyteller, I hate to pick on Gill (a former boxer) but most Nets fans remember a MJ story about Gill too.  It takes place during the 1998 playoffs, overtime, game tied with less than a minute remaining.

Since I don't want to leave this story with that "we are all below you Michael Jordan" feeling, I want to show you a video of Jimmy Jackson (38 points) and Jamal Mashburn (50 points) going off on the Bulls in 1994...oh wait, MJ was off playing baseball during this time.  Nevermind, we are all below you Michael Jordan.

 

							

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