Even after retiring from the NBA, Michael Jordan never lost his competitive edge. According to former Charlotte Bobcats guard Raymond Felton, Jordan routinely challenged his own players to intense 1-on-1 battles—and won every single time.
Felton, who played for the Bobcats from 2005 to 2010, shared his experience on Podcast P with Paul George, revealing that Jordan, despite being in his mid-40s, was still frying his players in practice.
“MJ as an owner is just how he is as a player,” Felton said. “He was super competitive, he hated to lose, and he came to the locker room many times and told us how he felt about how we were playing.”
Felton recalled a specific moment when he, Jeff McInnis, Gerald Wallace, and possibly Jason Richardson faced off against Jordan in a series of 1-on-1 games.
“We played 1-on-1 against MJ. When I tell you he was frying us… Man, he was frying us, bro, and was talking crazy to us too,” Felton admitted.
Despite being well past his playing days, Jordan relied on the same post-up and fadeaway moves that made him a six-time NBA champion.
“Same post-up, fadeaway. Anything you want, he was still doing it at that age,” Felton said. “It was crazy. He did whatever he wanted to do.”
Even though Felton and his teammates managed to score on Jordan, they never actually beat him.
“We were scoring on him, but he won the games,” Felton admitted.
Jordan’s fiery nature extended beyond practice. Former Bobcats player Stephen Jackson once revealed that Jordan beat the team’s starters in practice while playing with the reserves, proving that his basketball IQ and skill set remained elite even in his late 40s.
While Jordan’s tenure as the Bobcats’ owner was met with mixed reviews, Felton defended him, stating,
“A lot of people give him dirt about being an owner, but a lot of people don’t understand—it’s not easy.”
He emphasized that drafting players and building a winning team is far more challenging than people assume.
Jordan’s ability to dominate NBA players well into his 40s only adds to his legendary status. His competitive drive, trash talk, and mastery of fundamentals ensured that even after retirement, he remained the best player on the court.
