Troy Bell Recalls Michael Jordan Losing $10,000 Challenge in 1v1

Former NBA player Troy Bell claimed to have easily beaten Michael Jordan in their first 1-on-1 match.

Troy Bell Recalls Michael Jordan Losing $10,000 Challenge in 1v1

Troy Bell on Michael Jordan (Image credits - Firstsportz)

There has been no player like Michael Jordan in the history of the NBA. Known for his ultra-competitiveness and killer instinct, he has cemented his place as one of, if not the greatest, players of all time. During his time in the NBA, he almost seemed invincible on the court.

Michael Jordan had a 15-year career in the NBA. He spent 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls and two more with the Washington Wizards. But it was his time with the Bulls where he made a name for himself. Drafted as the number three pick in the 1984 NBA draft, Jordan went on to achieve immense success and several accolades in Chicago.

He won six NBA Championships, to go along with six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, ten scoring titles, and a Defensive Player of the Year award, just to name a few. The debate for the greatest player of all time has always been around Jordan and LeBron James, but Jordan was more than just a player. He became a brand and started a trend of designer signature sneakers that was going to change the landscape of sports apparel forever.

Jordan has always been known for being a ruthless competitor. However, former NBA player Troy Bell claims he once got the better of him in a one-on-one matchup. In an interview, Bell revealed that Jordan challenged him to a two-on-two contest for $10,000 back in 2005, which he declined in favor of them going one-on-one.

I really just think Mike thought I was a b*m. That’s what I think. He’s Mike, everyone’s a bum to Mike in his mind, that’s what I think. So in my mind I’ve seen you play a million times, but you’d probably never seen me play ever. So, game one, it didn’t matter what I did, it was working. I just remember people’s faces. They couldn’t believe it. It always looks different, too, when a shorter, smaller guy is beating a bigger guy. So it was just dancing around. Mike was literally just dancing around.

Jordan has never responded, and there is no way to verify Bell’s claims. But in 2005, Jordan was two years into his retirement. Since his retirement, Jordan has largely stayed away from the public eye.

But the NBA legend has joined NBC Sports as a “special contributor” for the 2025-2026 NBA season. During an interview with NBC, Jordan said he helped Anthony Edwards in the offseason and is looking forward to helping the next generation of players.

Jordan asked for a rematch with Bell

After losing the match 11-4 or 11-5, Jordan asked for a double or nothing rematch. Knowing Jordan’s competitive nature, it is something he would do. Bell accepted the request but he said it ended up being a mistake.

I couldn’t even say no because that’s how easy it was. I’m like there’s no way I’m not gonna win again. It’s 10-4, I’m about to win 20,000, barely broke a sweat. Every time he missed, he called a foul. Every single time. I don’t remember getting the ball back. I think I might have got the ball back one more time. I know for a fact, though, if he would have played like he played the first game, as far as like just playing normal one-on-one basketball, that I got $20,000.

It is hard to believe Bell’s statements because even though Jordan had already retired, Bell never really made it into the NBA. He played just six games in his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies before being waived off. He later played in other leagues, mostly in Europe.

When LeBron James and Michael Jordan went head-to-head

When James was drafted into the NBA in 2003, Jordan had announced his third retirement, which would end up being his final retirement in the same year. James met Jordan for the first time in 2001, when he was 16, and even got to play a pickup game with him and other NBA veterans at one point. It was not a competitive match.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much video evidence of the game; it was a game many would have been excited to witness. Fast-forward to the present, it is these two players that has split the NBA world.

LeBron James Michael Jordan

LeBron James (Left) and Michael Jordan (Right) in 2001. (Image credits – Marca)

Jordan was 38 years old and had entered the final stage of his career, and the meeting was more a generational passing of the baton than a hotly contested battle.

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