The 2023 NBA Draft turned into an eventful night for the Charlotte Hornets. Surprisingly, instead of choosing the player widely considered the second-best prospect, they opted for Brandon Miller as the second overall pick. Brandon, a versatile wing player, is set to make $9,065,600 on his rookie contract, according to Real GM. While he is a capable player overall, it was interesting to see the legendary Michael Jordan playfully roast Miller after the selection.
Miller made headlines prior to the draft when he shared details of his draft workout with his Hornets. He revealed that MJ was present and actually air-balled a free throw, exposing the GOAT. Well, His Airness got his revenge at the draft as he poked fun at Brandon while also giving him a warm welcome.
Michael Jordan welcomed Brandon Miller to the Hornets with a playful joke
Brandon Miller must be on top of the world right now. Having been selected second overall by the Charlotte Hornets, he’s just a few months away from gearing up and living his NBA dream. And, the best part is he’ll be playing for Michael Jordan, whom he has already established quite a rapport with.
Prior to the NBA Draft, Miller met Jordan at his draft workout with the Hornets. It was here that he witnessed His Airness airball a free throw. A detail he later revealed to the media, inciting much anger from both Charlotte fans and MJ fans alike. After all, many expected Jordan himself to be infuriated, given his tendency to take things personally.
However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, the six-time NBA Champion took it in good stride. In fact, MJ even roasted Miller when they got on a call following his selection. He joked, asking Brandon if he could palm a basketball yet before informing him that the hard work starts now.
“What up dude? Can you palm a ball yet? Well, welcome man. I’m looking forward to seeing you play man. And, I know you’ve been talking to Melo already, haven’t you?…Alright man well you know what? You know what happens now right? You got to get to work dude!”
It certainly was a wholesome moment between Jordan and Miller, and perhaps the former’s last action as the majority owner of the North Carolina-based franchise. Seeing as he is all but done with the official sale of the team.
MJ is all set to hand over the Charlotte Hornets to its new owners
Drafting Brandon Miller will probably be the last thing Michael Jordan does as the majority stakeholder of the Charlotte Hornets. His Airness is on the verge of finalizing the sale of the team for a whopping $3 billion according to reports. The new owners will be Gabe Plotkin and Daniel Sundheim who are minority owners.
That being said, Jordan’s relationship with the Hornets is far from over. He will still hold a minority stake in the franchise and his name will likely be associated with the team for years to come.
Jordan saw little to no success during his reign at the helm. Despite this, he will be hoping that the decisions he made in his last few years will propel the team to greatness.
