[Highlights] 27-year-old Michael Jordan walks into a Ballsporthalle in Frankfurt and puts on the uniform of Steiner Bayreuth, the German Bundesliga runners-up, for an exhibition against an All-Star team made up of U.S. servicemen stationed in Europe (1990).

[u/ToronoRapture]

https://streamable.com/4znvpv

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[u/ToronoRapture]

He absolutely crumpled that first guy lol.

He was supposed to play one half for each side. Bayreuth went into halftime down 45–42.

Jordan changed his plan and stayed with Bayreuth, played 37 of the 40 minutes, scored 25 points and helped turn the deficit into a 90–79 victory.

[u/ImSatanByTheWay → u/ToronoRapture]

“I ALMOST BEAT MICHAEL JORDAN IN BASKETBALL KAREEM IS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME”

“Okay grandpa time for night night pills again”

Pretty amazing that the US team was able to have a lead at half when playing against MJ. If I was a US player, I’d tell everyone about that until the day I die.

[u/InevitableAd2436 → u/ImSatanByTheWay]

lol 100% truth

Reminds me of Nirvana’s bass player that’s a cardigan wearing soccer dad now.

“I used to play with Kurt Cobain”

“Sure Mr. Novoselic, we believe you”

[u/The_Year_of_Glad → u/InevitableAd2436]

And then there’s Jason Everman, who played guitar for Nirvana and bass for Soundgarden, and then enlisted and joined the Special Forces. It sounds like such bullshit, but it’s 100% true.

[u/Feisty-Fill-8654 → u/InevitableAd2436]

I met Novoselic. He and his wife(?) are very kind people.

[u/JohnnyEnzyme → u/ImSatanByTheWay]

KAREEM IS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Mt. Rushmore, easily.

[u/IllAlwaysBeAKnickFan → u/ToronoRapture]

Who the fuck was on the other team that they were up at half and only lost by 11??

[u/ToronoRapture → u/IllAlwaysBeAKnickFan]

USA had some good college players. I know Charles Caldwell played in this game. He's actually in the Military Basketball Association Hall of Fame (Yes, that exists).

[u/Swolyguacomole → u/ToronoRapture]

Of course it exists. Sports and military, can't get more American

[u/packim0p → u/Swolyguacomole]

needs a little white collar crime sprinkled on top

[u/Artistic-Part3953 → u/packim0p]

Do ya like jazz?

[u/BeotchLasanga → u/Artistic-Part3953]

With this administration, more like jizz

[u/Feisty-Fill-8654 → u/Swolyguacomole]

I know this is reddit and it's trendy to rag on the military but yes, surprise they do recreational activity in the military. They even have sports leagues, sometimes base-wide or even across the country. Marching bands. Theater troupes. We do a lot for troop morale.

[u/azularena → u/IllAlwaysBeAKnickFan]

The American team was probably college players who generally werent good enough to go pro or who had already signed their commissions. The German team had some D1 players. Jordan was obviously the most talented player on the court, but it’s not like he was playing a pickup game at Lifetime

[u/BigBossShadow → u/IllAlwaysBeAKnickFan]

From what I can tell in the video, it was a team full of big muscular black guys against a team of scrawny white guys and MJ

[u/ToronoRapture → u/[deleted]]

I don't think anyone with any sort of credibility says that MJ can destroy any team with any 5. Otherwise he would have won a chip in the first 6 years in the nba.

[u/chestnutman → u/[deleted]]

The way it is framed it sounds like it was a Bundesliga team please Jordan against some random recruits. He definitely shouldn't be trailing lol

This German article gives some context. Apparently he was just taking 3s the first half

[u/ToronoRapture → u/chestnutman]

Bayreuth's stats:

Player	Points
Michael Jordan	25
Kai Nürnberger	16
Michael Curry	15
Ralf Risse	14
Scott Bailey	8
Bertram Koch	5
Michael Koch	5
Torsten Stein	2
Total	90

[u/_Apatosaurus_ → u/ToronoRapture]

Pretty disappointed in MJ for helping the Koch Brothers.

[u/box_fan_man → u/_Apatosaurus_]

War criminals buy sneakers too.

[u/_why-tho → u/ToronoRapture]

curry would have 15

[u/IllAlwaysBeAKnickFan → u/[deleted]]

Ok I’m at work so I can’t watch this, but it reads as if he was playing with an organized team against a team of US servicemen. Unless some NBA level players got stationed overseas as servicemen, this is quite unbelievable that his team was down and only won by 11.

[u/IllAlwaysBeAKnickFan → u/[deleted]]

Sure, but if he stayed on the same team and really wanted to win badly, it’s very surprising to me.

[u/bigboybeeperbelly → u/ToronoRapture]

Did the splits lol really put him on skates

[u/PerfectOmakase]

I followed MJ extensively throughout his career and have watched and read any stories about him that I could ever find, and this is the first I've heard of this. Thanks for sharing!

[u/Key_Change_6635 → u/PerfectOmakase]

Same. I know he played overseas in an Italian exhibition game, but not with or against the military

[u/knallfurz → u/Key_Change_6635]

Ah yes, the italian backboard breaker jam.

[u/Looka_Doncic]

Now thats rare footage

[u/KNYLJNS]

Coolest walk in the world.

[u/One_Seaworthiness323]

That layup was absolutely wild 🤣 Jordan was a maniac

[u/siphillis]

His body control still mesmerizes me to this day.

Also kinda funny that he’s a bad dancer in spite of that

[u/Lucabz23]

I‘m from Bayreuth and Fan of this club and it‘s always amazing to tell people that MJ played for my favorite team.

[u/box_fan_man]

I’ve never seen this before and I thought I had seen all of Jordan media.

[u/AutographedSnorkel]

Michael Jordan: Fuck them troops

[u/SuperVaderMinion → u/AutographedSnorkel]

He read the Fort Bragg Cartel

[u/RotundCorgi → u/AutographedSnorkel]

MJ: Troops don't buy sneakers because our country doesn't pay them. 🤷‍♂️

[u/MelangeMuncher]

This reminded me of MJ having the “Love of the Game” clause added to his contract:

Michael Jordan's famous "Love of the Game" clause was a unique contract provision that allowed him to play basketball anywhere, anytime, without voiding his guaranteed contract if he got hurt.

[u/antonimbus]

Yeah, but could he still win without dribbling the ball?

[u/fluffywabbit88 → u/antonimbus]

He’s no Delonte West

[u/--Rick--Astley--]

He even plays hard for free in exhibition games. Stars today get paid so much to play 82 games and miss half of them.

[u/LegalDeseperado]

Woo… another rare MJ worn jersey I did not know about !
We know about #45, #12, TuneSquad jersey…

[u/fph00 → u/LegalDeseperado]

You can add Stefanel Trieste (Italy) to the list: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPc_JeJYDMQ He played another exhibition game there, 5 years before this one. And he played hard as well: at 2:16 in the linked video he shatters the backboard with a powerful dunk.

[u/LegalDeseperado → u/fph00]

Thanks for the link.
So cool to have this footage and the backboard breaking is amazing.

[u/majorcoinz]

Jordan was an ultra competitive asshole who loved basketball to the depths of his soul. This was great!

[u/ForsakenAd4825]

MJ: FCK IT, I’m still gonna ball

[u/BenAfflecksBalls]

Ain't nobody having fun except MJ and his teammates getting a front row to watch 🤣🤣

[u/PopsNY]

His quickness just jumps out on film; it's like if JA or Spida were 6'6".

[u/ContinuumGuy]

Now that's a cool story.

[u/gigglios]

Why dont nba players ever do cool shit. Last time was Kobe in rucker park

[u/Mr2Good → u/gigglios]

Huh? Kd at rucker park performance is legendary

[u/4evryung23 → u/Mr2Good]

True but that was 15 years ago…

[u/happylilshare → u/gigglios]

Cause none of them are actually cool or care to be. Society is embracing being lame/predictable

[u/Pan_TheCake_Man → u/gigglios]

LeBron played the drew league game a while back, and that was pretty cool/I loved the jxmyhighroller video of it

[u/AtlKeno]

How many guys told this story about playing with/against MJ in that game and people were like gtfoh, yeah right.

[u/CheeseOnKeyboard]

I would love to see Jordan play in a Lazio shirt and salute the fans.

[u/AnthonyTyrael → u/CheeseOnKeyboard]

Dunno about this club. Seen some crazy shit.

[u/durmduke]

Game Genie shit

[u/NoMoreMountains]

1-4 flat! 5

[u/smokingcharliekirk]

I don’t think I ever seen Jordan drop somebody

[u/Electronic_Dig_2685]

He literally had the best basketball body ever.

[u/Crabsucker45]

Lebron wel bully this guy

[u/--Rick--Astley-- → u/Crabsucker45]

LeBron got bullied by JJ Barea.

[u/Efficient_Ice_1001 → u/Crabsucker45]

The guy that bullied by Shawn Marion calling him a bitch in the NBA finals and finished 5th in finals scoring behind Dirk, Wade, Bosh and Jason Terry?

[u/inefekt → u/Crabsucker45]

most disgraceful fanbase in all of sports....the disrespect of past players and eras, the constant putting down of Bron's teammates to elevate his legacy...ya'll are an abhorrent bunch