Denzel Washington
is widely celebrated as one of the greatest actors of all time. He is known for his remarkably versatile acting, having played various roles throughout his illustrious career. However, hoops fans recognize Washington for being the star of the iconic basketball movie, “He Got Game.”
Unsurprisingly, Washington is also a huge NBA fan. In fact, he had been watching courtside since the ’90s. As a keen observer of the game, Denzel also has his take on the ongoing NBA GOAT debate.
During an appearance on “The Jimmy Kimmel Show” last year, Washington was asked to name his GOAT of choice. The 70-year-old found it difficult to come up with a name, but he went on to share a
Michael Jordan
story, which gave the fans a hint about his answer.
“I was at the Chicago Bulls game with Spike Lee. Michael Jordan made that famous shot. I was there,”
the two-time Academy Award winner
recalled
. ”
And we went out to dinner that night… I went out with him after that game, ’cause after that game, they were coming to L.A., and I was trying to get him drunk, trying to get him off… He acted like [he would drink]. He would put it to his lip and then put it back down.”
Intrigued by what he had just heard about Jordan, Kimmel told Washington,
“Oh, very interesting. So maybe he’s the greatest of all time.”
After pausing for a few seconds, Denzel admitted,
“He was that night.”
Denzel was blown away by MJ’s fame
While Washington didn’t go down to the specifics of his memorable dinner with Jordan, he did remember how it felt to be alongside the GOAT. As per Denzel, it was a one-of-a-kind experience.
As an all-time great in his industry himself, Denzel is no stranger to drawing a crowd and being approached by groups of fans. However, the award-winning actor admitted to being a bit shocked by how people adored Michael.
“He’s famous,”
Washington said of the six-time NBA champion before jokingly adding,
“I was doing security work [for him that night].”
“Michael Jordan was famous,”
he concluded.
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Mike and Denzel both have commanding presences
Given their legendary status in their respective careers, Jordan and Washington often commanded respect whenever they interacted with other people. In fact, even some of their peers recognize their commanding presence.
According to Ray Allen, a former Jordan Brand endorser,
he didn’t really get awestruck by Denzel
during the filming of “He Got Game.” For Ray-Ray, meeting such an iconic figure in the flesh wasn’t new, as he had already experienced that with Mike.
“When you come from being in the NBA, and you’re around all these other [personalities]. I’ve been around Michael Jordan, so that aura right there… it’s no different; you’ve been around people and seeing celebrities come see you play,”
Allen once
said
.
“I think one of the greatest attributes a person can have a part of their character is to allow other people to feel comfortable around them, to disarm a person,”
Ray added.
“That’s how Denzel is.”
In conclusion, it’s always great to hear such MJ stories, especially from another icon in his own right, like Denzel. Moreover, it’s also interesting to discover the parallels between the two legends.
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