"Early athletic Michael Jordan now is being forgotten" - Kevin Wildes outlines how athletic young Michael Jordan was in response to Ja Morant's recent lofty claims

Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls legend, retired nearly 20 years ago. To remind young basketball fans of how good MJ was, the documentary series "The Last Dance" was introduced in 2020. “His Airness” was already 34 when he captured the last of his six titles in the film.

Ja Morant’s comments that he’d “cook” Jordan was in reference to the series, where the five-time MVP was past his athletic prime. Kevin Wildes couldn’t believe the young Grizzlies superstar’s comments, noting that Jordan’s otherworldly athleticism has suddenly become underrated. He said on "First Things First":

“I think there’s a little bit of Michael Jordan 'misremembering' because of The Last Dance.”

Wildes continued:

“There should be a new project called The First Few Dances because The Last Dance focused so much, and Ja mentioned it on his mindset, that it’s almost we’ve gotten to a strange, strange point where MJ’s early athleticism is being called into question.”

He concluded:

“All of a sudden because Ja could dunk on some people, early athletic Michael Jordan now is being forgotten.”

Jordan, in his first eight seasons in the NBA, was a walking highlight reel. Part of what made him a media favorite was his jaw-dropping athletic abilities. No one was more electric and charismatic than “His Airness” in his heyday.

His opponents over the years, including Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler and Magic Johnson, are often lost for words describing his physical gifts. Not only was Jordan athletic, he was also underrated in his fundamentals. Couple them with his innate skills, and the NBA saw one of basketball history’s most lethal players.

Ja Morant, meanwhile, just completed his third season in the NBA averaging 21.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He made 47.4% of his field-goal attempts and has just made his first All-Star team. “G12” broke out as a superstar last season, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to the playoffs.

In his third year in the NBA, Jordan averaged 31.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2.6 steals per game. He shot 49.3% from the field and was already a three-time All-Star. Jordan became a household name just three years after his debut following a stunning 63-point explosion against the Boston Celtics in the 1986 playoffs.

"The First Few Dances" need not be made into a film. Basketball fans can simply check YouTube to remind themselves of how insanely athletic early Michael Jordan was.

---

Michael Jordan may just be too much for Ja Morant

A young Michael Jordan may even be more athletic and explosive than Ja Morant. [Photo: FOX Sports]

If a hypothetical matchup between Michael Jordan and Ja Morant happened in their respective third years in the NBA, MJ might run away with it. Morant would get his points as he is an elite talent, but Jordan was simply unbelievable.

In his third year, the Bulls legend was the more complete player. He was already one of the best defenders in the NBA and won the Defensive Player of the Year award in his fourth season. Jordan was already a scoring champion three years into his NBA career and was on the cusp of winning the first of five MVP titles.

The six-time champion was bigger, taller and likely even more athletic than Morant. “Cooking” Jordan may just be his bravado calling.

To recall Kendall Gill’s words about Jordan:

“Calling out the devil is one thing. Facing him is another.”