Former Card LaBradford Smith talks about brief rivalry with Michael Jordan

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - It was a night in March of 1993 that former Card, LaBradford Smith and the great, Michael Jordan will never forget.

“Once I hit about two or three shots, the confidence grew and it seemed like the basket got bigger,” said Smith.

Smith, in his second year in the league playing for Washington scored a career-high 37 points.

“I didn’t realize how many points I had until the guys was like, hey, you gave Mike 37,” remembered Smith.

Unfortunately for LaBradford, Jordan, who was known to seek out motivation, had his motivation when they played again... the very next game.

“Rodney McCray and BJ Armstrong, I was at center court stretching, and they was like LA, I hope you got your rest last night because he said he’s going to have 37 by half,” said Smith.

Smith and his Bullets teammates were able to hold Jordan under his stated goal, barely.

“36 man. He didn’t have 37. He had 36,” laughed Smith.

Jordan would go on to score 47 in a Bulls blowout. Now that short, two game rivalry between Smith and Jordan will be a part of the 10 part documentary on the ’98 Chicago Bulls airing on Sundays.

“Yeah, I’m going to turn my phone off, and me and my wife will watch it later on,” said Smith.

Smith has fond memories of that first game, but...

“Yeah, you had to bring up that second game,” said Smith.

Copyright 2020 WAVE 3 News. All rights reserved.