Ray Allen opened up about the first time he faced the legendary Michael Jordan in the NBA.
Allen said he faced Jordan in the 1996/97 preseason, in his second game as a rookie, and was ‘scared to death’.
“My second game of my rookie year preseason, we played against the Bulls in the United Center. So imagine that. As a 21-year-old kid, you’re playing against MJ. You know, I was scared to death…and I’m on the floor stretching and he runs on to the floor.
I had to look up. It was like this is so surreal to me that I’m sitting here on this court right now and I’ve watched this, you know, for the last 10 years of my life. So I’m like I’m rooting for him against me,” Allen said during his appearance on James Posey’s podcast “The Posecast“.
Jordan and the Chicago Bulls went on to win the 1997 NBA title. Meanwhile, Allen had 13.4 points, 4.0 boards and 2.6 assists in his rookie season, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
