MJ wasn't intimidated by Kobe and Shaq ahead of his return in 2001.
Having won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, Michael Jordan knew well how it felt to play for the most dominant team in the NBA. With that in mind, MJ also understood that was no longer the case when he returned to join the Washington Wizards in 2001 at nearly 40 years old.
At the time, the Los Angeles Lakers were widely regarded as an unbeatable force, with superstars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal leading the charge. However, with his unwavering confidence and competitive spirit, Jordan didn't think they were invincible.
"I'm not trying to diminish what they are, but there's no way I think they're so dominant they can't be beat," Mike said about the then two-time NBA champions ahead of his Wizards debut. "First, though, I need to worry about (winning) the East."
MJ knew what it takes to win with the Wizards
Jordan may have been insanely competitive, but that didn't mean he was blind to the reality that the Wizards were one of the worst teams in the league at the time. That said, "His Airness" knew they had to take it one win at a time with him playing the lead role.
Two games into his comeback campaign, Jordan tasted his first victory since 1998 after the Wizards beat the Atlanta Hawks 98-88. Even though the Hawks were not on the Lakers' level, the victory gave MJ confidence to say the Wizards could beat any team put in front of them if they could carry the same passion and thirst for winning.
"We don't want to be the doormats of everybody in the league," Jordan said after the game. "It's going to continue to get better as long as everybody understands the passion it takes."
L.A. won one more in Jordan's return
The Wizards finished the 2000-01 season with an underwhelming 19-63 record. However, after Jordan joined the organization, Washington remarkably improved to 37-45. Unfortunately, the undeniable progress wasn't enough for the Wizards to make it to the playoffs.
As for the Lakers, they dominated Jordan and the Wizards in both of their matchups that season. MJ, however, still competed hard against the defending champions. A discomfort limited "His Airness" to just playing 12 minutes in the second meeting but he led the Wizards in scoring with 22 points in the first showdown.
Ultimately, the Lakers still won the NBA title that year to complete a historic three-peat. Though Jordan didn't get the results he wanted, it's safe to say he didn't fail in trying to prove that nothing is impossible.
