Common Says Michael Jordan Threw Shade On His Basketball Skills
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Common’s ball skills have earned him raves at celebrity All-star games over the years, but weren’t enough to impress basketball icon Michael Jordan, who once suggested he keep his day job as an entertainer.
During a sit-down as part of Men’s Health‘s The Rewind series, the veteran emcee covered various backstories from memorable moments captured throughout his career, two of which involved Jordan himself.
“I just played in the celebrity game and hit the last free throws to seal the game,” Common says, referencing his appearance in the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend event. “And Mike – in this picture, when I greeted him – he told me to stick to rapping.”
Being that he put together a solid performance while contributing to a winning effort, Common felt that Jordan could’ve put a bit more respect on his skills. “I was like, ‘Mike, you just didn’t see that game I had? I couldn’t believe that he didn’t recognize that my game was actually a good game. He grounded me in this picture, for sure,” the 51-year-old said.
Common also recalled an instance in which the six-time NBA champion stole the spotlight away from him on his own turf many years ago. “He also had come to one of my shows in Chicago at the House of Blues,” the Chicago native said of Jordan.
“Mike was watching my show, but I didn’t let people know he was there ’cause he was up in the balcony until my last song. And when I did, everybody just watched him and just forgot I was on stage. So I was smart to do that at the end of the show.”
The Chicago native’s history with basketball is well-documented. He famously served as a ball-boy for his hometown Bulls during his youth and was a standout on his high school basketball team. However, an injury in his teenage years derailed those dreams, which were replaced with his pursuit of success as a rap artist, which has certainly proved to be a heck of a consolation prize, given his accolades in that field.
Watch Common’s appearance on Men’s Health The Rewind below.
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