WATCH: Old footage of Michael Jordan and Tom Brady golfing together reveals a dominant duo
Tonight, the sports world celebrates one of its first victories since the beginning of the worldwide layoff a month ago. The first iteration of the highly anticipated 10-part documentary on Michael Jordan, “The Last Dance,” debuts at 9 p.m. on ESPN. While we can’t wait to see the artifacts unearthed by director Jason Hehir and the crew at ESPN from Jordan’s incredible career (and hopefully, from his legendary reputation on the course), this golf gem featuring Jordan and another GOAT surfaced on YouTube a few weeks ago.
It’s a video from the 2006 Jordan Celebrity Invitational, MJ’s now-defunct charity event. The footage shows Jordan pairing with Tom Brady in the tournament, the duo shooting a first-round 66 and lapping the star-studded field.
“We ham-and-egged it pretty good,” Jordan said in an interview after the pair shot out to an early lead. “Whenever he was out of the hole, I was able to hit some good shots. I took some pressure off him. He could bomb it, he can hit it real long. We missed a couple birdies on par-fives we probably should’ve had.”
That year, Brady’s loss proved to be Jordan’s gain. When Brady’s Patriots fell in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs in late-2005, his schedule suddenly opened. Rather than quarterbacking the Pats in Super Bowl XL in February, Brady boarded a flight to the Caribbean with a different title in his sights playing alongside one of his rare competitive equals.
“We’re used to (wanting to win), I don’t think you’re okay with anything other than that,” Jordan said. “When we play, we all want to win. It’s no different out here on the golf course. When he plays football or when I play basketball, we want to win. Have a good time, but we want to win.”
Brady and Jordan did just that: win. The pair torched the field, shooting a final round 68 en route to a two-stroke victory.
“Nah, I don’t want to be back,” Brady said after the win, realizing a repeat appearance likely meant back-to-back years without a Super Bowl nod.
Jordan, however, had grown fond of playing with Brady.
“If he is available, he’s definitely got to come back to defend,” Jordan said. “Now I’ve got me a good partner. I’d hope to keep him.”
You can see the pair’s highlights from the week below, but Tom’s buttery approaches and Mike’s smooth short game only tell half the story. After all, Jordan’s wedges should’ve been sweet—he’d been skipping White House visits to sneak in 18 holes! Rather, the pair’s other worldly mentality is as obvious as it is awe-inspiring.
“A lot of people are going to say you shouldn’t win, but I could care less what they say,” Jordan said after the victory. “I’m happy that we grinded enough today and we won and we’re looking forward to winning more hopefully. That’s what teamwork is all about. We both come together at the right time and we win.”
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