WNBA superstar Diana Taurasi once had a chance at free Jordans when she was challenged by NBA legend Michael Jordan himself back in high school.
The Phoenix Mercury three-time champion guard recalled the story with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe on Instagram, via ESPN. In 1999, Taurasi attended Jordan's summer camp in Santa Barbara, California, and in the last day, she was picked to play H.O.R.S.E with other campers for a chance to win a free pair of Jordans.
“So I get picked to do around the world. You start at the baseline, 15-footer, knocked it down. Elbow? Easy. Free throw — whatever. Elbow, baseline, 3-pointer, top of the key three, baseline three. I get up to [the free throw]. Clank. I missed the damn free throw for a free pair of Jordan's,” Taurasi recalled. “He goes ‘Nice try. Next.'
“Damn, I don't get the shoes?”
To add insult to injury, the NBA Hall of Famer even trolled Taurasi for the said missed free throw a year later.
“Fast forward a year, I just finished my first year at UConn, I go back [to the basketball camp] as a counselor … He comes up to me and goes ‘How're your free throws going?'” the WNBA icon furthered.
“This dude doesn't let go of anything, this was a year later! I'm like ‘I guess alright.'”
Diana Taurasi had a distinguished career with the Huskies, winning three consecutive NCAA tournaments and back-to-back Most Outstanding Player awards in the big dance. The four-time gold medalist with the U.S. women's national team was the first overall selection by the Mercury back in 2004 — edging out Michael Jordan who was selected third overall (behind Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie) in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.
This story goes to show Taurasi, one of the best athletes of all time, how competitive and vindictive Jordan is though.
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