Michael Jordan vs. Magic Johnson on Pay-Per-View
How much would you pay for LBJ/Kobe? (photo. Mannion)If you paid $59.99 to watch WWE Backlash just so that you could see The Undertaker take on Kane for a 47th time, there’s no doubt in my mind that you would have paid for this.
Supposedly, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson had all but signed a contract to play one-on-one on Pay-Per-View at some time in 1989-90. Magic was convinced that he had some tricks up his sleeve that would have ensured victory over MJ. But the game never happened and thus neither one of these guys can reap the millions in DVD sales that would have undoubtedly ensued. Maybe if Don King had been involved it would have worked out.
About five years later, Shaq and Hakeem Olajuwon were a step closer to playing on Pay-Per-View in the “Taco Bell One-on-One Championship.” Shortly after these two teams played each other in the NBA Finals, this would have been a blockbuster, but the Dream got hurt while training and had to pull out.
It’s such a shame because that would have been unreal. The “War on the Floor” (that’s actually what it was being called, we didn’t make it up) would have taken place at the Trump Taj Mahal. Imagine the atmosphere in there: there’s no doubt that they would have figured a way to incorporate ring girls into the match.
Why hasn’t anyone made this happen yet? Who would you most like to see play one-on-one, and how much would you pay?
Source: Jones on the NBA
October 20th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
FK in T-Oh says:
Kobe vs. Lebron would be sick right now, or better yet, start a bracket that looks like
1) Kobe
Nash
5) Williams
4) Paul
3) Wade
6) Iverson
7) Carmelo
2) Lebron
October 20th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
FK in T-Oh says:
why did the 2 look like that?
October 20th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Scott says:
LeBron vs. Kobe would be it in our current era.
October 20th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
DO says:
baron davis, jamal crawford, steve francis, allen iverson, d wade, kobe, lebron
any of these guys would be good
October 20th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
jayslay says:
kobe vs lebron would be cool rite now that would be the best rite now …
what about a kevin durant vs mike beasley
d-wade vs gil
monta vs iverson
mayo vs rose
but didnt dime do somethin real similar to this bout a month ago????
i would pay to see all of these but my dream match-up would be kobe in his prime vs jordan in his prime
October 20th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
fallinup says:
I’ve been preaching a 1 on 1 Tourney like this during the All Star Weekend. Or 2 on 2 would be sicker…players could partner up with who ever. Doesn’t matter the team.
2)
October 20th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
A$$Cube says:
1. Kobe vs. Shaq.
Even if Shaq’s nearly done, he’d try to outmuscle Kobe and make him taste his *ss. Kobe would try to dunk on Shaq and make him taste his n*ts.
Folks would love that!
2. CP3 vs. Deron.
Just to settle that thing for good till the two meet up in the upcoming Playoffs.
3. DeShawn vs. Bron.
So Bron can finally what he’s really made of without Hova backin him up.
4. Dirk vs. Melo.
None would play D. Both would have to get their A-game on on offense. It’d make a good “Teach me how to score” DVD.
5. Deng vs. Ben Gordon.
THAT is gonna make BG understand he does NOT weigh the same $$$ as Deng. Well. Maybe BG would win that battle and have something more to show for next summer but I think Deng would show him who THE man really is.
October 20th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Patrick says:
The question is who would you pay pay-per-view to see. I would say only kobe/lebron. Think about it Jordan/magic and Dream/Shaq were both the best players. You aren’t gonna get ppv money for an undercard.
October 20th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Desrat says:
Doc vs Tyrone
Youngfed vs Dime
October 20th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Superman Vs STAT
October 20th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Tyrone says:
I’d like to see Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan playin’ one on one y’all. Them two cats are pimpin’ players and ain’t no doubt it’d be a gangsta matchup ya’ll.
True thugs never lie.
Tyrone
October 20th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
SayItAintSo says:
LMAO @ #9
October 20th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
isotope says:
Deshawn vs Lebron
Yao vs Amare vs Dwight
Kobe vs Raja Bell
Ron Artest vs Ben Wallace
Vince Carter vs TMac
Paul vs DWilliams
Sheed vs Duncan
Bynum vs Shaq
October 20th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Kudabeen says:
I think it was the 1990 draft were the NBA had all sorts of pre-draft activities with the vertical dunk contest and one-on-one being the only two I remember watching. I really enjoyed watching the 1 on 1. They should bring that back to a certain degree. I don’t think players will slack off going mono y mono.
Jamal Crawford v. Ray Allen
Steph v. Iverson
Duncan v KG
Kobe v LeBron/Wade/
LeBron v Melo
Joe Johnson v Iguodala
Nate Robinson v. Randy Foye (random)
Brandon Roy v. Pierce
CP3 v Parker/Deron/
Baron v Rose/Deron/Steph
So many…
October 20th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Meica says:
I’m salivating just at the thought of a one-on-one match-up between CP3 and D-Will. AI v. Dwyane Wade would be so sick too.
October 20th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Gary says:
Cuban needs to throw down money for this! How is this not a profitable opportunity?
October 20th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
John says:
Lebron x Kobe ,,, no doubt …
Oh, and Jordan would smoke Magic ,,,
October 20th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Ian says:
im only interested in two matchups
duncan vs kg of course
and a parker vs deron vs paul
October 20th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
nerditry says:
We could have Duke Tango on an endless loop yelling about “mano y mano y mano y mano y mano y mano y mano y mano y mano y mano y mano y mano y mano y mano.”
October 20th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Jah says:
Here are my dream matches:
Kevin Garnett vs. Tim Duncan
Dwight Howard vs. Amare Stoudemire
Kobe Bryant vs. Dwyane Wade
Kobe Bryant vs. Paul Pierce
Kobe Bryant vs. Tracy McGrady
Kobe Bryant vs. Gilbert Arenas
Dwyane Wade vs. Gilbert Arenas
Vince Carter vs. Tracy McGrady
LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant
LeBron James vs. Carmelo Anthony
LeBron James vs. Caron Butler
Andrew Bynum vs. Greg Oden
Andrew Bynum vs. Shaquille O’Neal
Allen Iverson vs. Stephon Marbury
October 20th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
fallinup says:
Eddy Curry vs. Weight Watchers
October 20th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Ian says:
fallinup
thats a one sided matchup eddy wins easy
October 20th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
DH says:
Why does anyone want to see Tim Duncan play anyone? He’s so boring! I don’t wanna see any big-man matchups…give me guards who can hit shots, dribble, and make things exciting. I don’t wanna see two oversized idiots backing each other down…
October 20th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Rocco says:
Big man matchups would be horrible..it’ll end up looking like soft core gay ProN.
October 20th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
CitizenB says:
Oliver Miller vs Tractor Traylor vs. Derrick Coleman
Present day, no shirts, and the winner gets a sack of cheeseburgers
October 20th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
tim says:
Rasheed Wallace vs Rasheed Wallace…oh wait, that happens in every game the Pistons play!
October 20th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
johnny says:
I support A$$Cube’s ideas. They have a wrestling vibe.
We need more than 5 matchups for me to order tho.
Throw in
KG v Duncan
AI v Rip
Ben v Artest
Dwight v Yao
Amare v ?
(make him wait a few & Scalabrine runs out to some music)
Tony v Baron
Kapono v Korver
Vince v Jamison
Stack v Dikembe (double disqualification)
Tay v Wade
Chauncey v Gilbert
Kidd v Grant Hill
October 20th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
johnny says:
Sheed v Eddy
October 20th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
vinny says:
Nate Robinson v AI (WE WOULDNT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DEFENSIVE STOPS)
Amare v Dwight (could be a dunk contest within a game)
Labron v Artest (HAVE THE PARAMEDICS THERE IT COULD GET UGLY)
Wade v Jamal Crawford
Rasheed v Garnett(imagine the shit-talking in this game)
Robert Swift vs the birdman(just to see if i can count all the tatoo’s)
Oh and Jordan would wear MAGIC OUT!!!
October 20th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
nick says:
remember size is a huge advantage when it comes to 1 on 1.
ex johhny has parker vs baron. Baron too strong for tp. it would get ugly for tp, imo.
all matchups would fun to watch no doubt.
i’d love to see lebron and melo go at it. i’d even go out on a limb and say melo wins, but it would be close.
October 20th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Dagomar says:
Lebron VS Kobe . . . easily the best two players in the game today. Throw in Wade (and maybe Pierce) against either of these guys or against each other . . . those would be strong matchups too.
October 20th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Ian says:
nick
i would love to see baron tryin to keep up with parker
parker would win this one
imo of course
manu vs rudy would be good also
October 20th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Tony says:
Lebron vs Kobe
Howard vs Yao (assuming he doesn’t get injured or dunked on in the first 3 seconds so this match isn’t happenin’)
Peja vs any shooter
Nash vs Kidd
Paul vs Williams
D-bag Scalabrine vs the rim
Carter vs T-mac
Wade vs Iverson
KG vs Duncan
Hill vs Stackhouse
Ginobili (flopper) vs Sidney Lowe (father of floppin’)
Eddy Curry vs Jerome James
Artest vs The Undertaker
October 21st, 2008 at 12:09 am
Tbone says:
It’s fun to talk about potential matchups but I think star players just have too much to lose and not enough to gain. I think their egos get in the way as well. They also don’t want to risk injury but I would love to see some of these played out.
October 21st, 2008 at 1:41 am
Big V says:
AI vs Tony Parker?
I personally think that Magic was the better player overall than MJ was, but I don’t think he could beat Mike 1-on-1.
October 21st, 2008 at 10:19 am
Jose says:
Honestly
Candace Parker vs Shelden Williams
October 21st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
BAT says:
ALL TIME Matchup:
Gimp Matchup: Grant Hill v Penny Hardaway
Announcer Matchup: Bill Walton v Charles Barkley
PG v C Matchup: CP3 v Dwight Howard
Random celeb Matchup: Tiger Woods v Barack Obama
Entourage Matchup: Turtle v Loyd
UFC: GSP v Anderson Silva
Wicked.