On March 28, 2003, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant met for the final time as active NBA players. It wasn't a close contest — Bryant's Lakers defeated Jordan's Wizards by double-digits — but it did give basketball fans one last chance to watch two of the game's fiercest competitors battle inside the lines.
And it allowed one particular fan to witness a moment he will never forget.
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Golden Globe-nominated actor John Cusack had a courtside seat at the Staples Center that night. During a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel, he shared a terrific story about what happened when Jordan switched onto Bryant near the end of the third quarter.
"At some point in the game, everyone knew Michael and Kobe were gonna go one-on-one. So Kobe got the ball, he cleared everybody out, and everybody started to bristle up with anticipation, and it was gonna be Kobe against Michael," Cusack said. "And Kobe started to drive, Michael stepped in front of him, right in front of me, and he took the charge. And he went down, and Kobe was standing above him.
"And Michael just looked up and he said, 'Well everybody in the f—ing building knew you weren't gonna pass.' And then there's a pause. It was like the old pro got him, the old vet got him. And Kobe just started laughing, and they both started laughing, but that's what they said there. ... So you really felt the passing of the torch, you know, one great to the other. You felt it was a moment in sports, it was really amazing to be there."
During a recent appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live', @johncusack spoke about the night he was courtside to witness an iconic exchange between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
— Adam H💀wes (@Howsito) October 18, 2020
So I went ahead and put this edit together... pic.twitter.com/tTlXMpyhCX
Jordan won that possession, but Bryant came out victorious after lighting up the Wizards for 55 points in 41 minutes of action. Jordan finished with 23 points, an impressive individual showing considering that he had turned 40 years old the previous month and was facing one of the Western Conference's top teams.
Cusack, a big Chicago sports supporter, also spoke with Kimmel about LeBron James' place in the GOAT debate, a night out with Jordan and Super Bowl MVP Richard Dent and much more. You can watch the full interview below.
