NBA video: Never-before-seen footage of Michael Jordan footage roasting fools during retirement

When Michael Jordan retired from the NBA the first time, he still played pick-up with people at a gym in Chicago. Here's some never-before-seen footage.

As evidenced in the recent ESPN docuseries “The Last Dance,” the Chicago Bulls missed Michael Jordan mightily during his first retirement from the game. Even though he was pursuing a career in baseball soon after his first NBA three-peat, he was still giving guys the work at an upscale basketball gym downtown.

On Jan. 4, 1994, while Scottie Pippen and the Bulls took on the Pistons in a real-life NBA game, Jordan was a mere three miles away at the Athletic Club in Illinois Center, playing against your typical Joe Schmoes.

SportsChannel Chicago, a regional sports network no longer in existence, sent a cameraman down to the gym to get some footage of Jordan playing against dudes who just got off from work.

One of the those clips from the original segment that aired made the rounds on Twitter in May during “The Last Dance” craze that took over the NBA world.

Ben Terrell, who played with the NBA legend that night, went digging around his basement in hopes to find a VHS tape, one that had been shelved for 26 years. Not only did it have the SportsChannel Chicago segment, but also unedited footage of the runs.

Via Dan Gartland of Sports Illustrated:

“A couple people in my family have seen it, a few friends, but it’s very limited,” Terrell told SI. “I’ve had this video forever. I was kinda worried that I was going to go down to the basement, put it in the VCR and it would just be dust.”

Here's one of the videos of the NBA's GOAT giving these guys the business:

This next video is shot on a camcorder, as one of the members was able to sneak it under his jacket to prevent suspicion, as the upscale gym had strict rules designed to protect the privacy of His Airness:

Terrell, who wore the No. 44 jersey over a white T-shirt, shared quite a distinct experience of getting in some run with the greatest player of their generation. All while he took a year-and-a-half sabbatical from the NBA.

That same Jordan would go on to bring another NBA three-peat to Chicago and give those lucky players some stories to tell for the rest of their lives.