It's just a joke, folks.
The event was Magic Johnson's Midsummer Night's Magic Weekend, an annual charity game that raised approximately $1.65 million for the UNCF in 1990.
Midway through the second quarter, Isiah Thomas wrapped up Michael Jordan in the open floor, leading Jordan's coach, talk show host Arsenio Hall, to leave the bench and confront Thomas, initiating a half-hearted fracas while Thomas' coach—comedian and Benton Harbor native Sinbad—sauntered in to restore order.
Thomas, appearing to readily play the role of heel, "missed" the first technical free throw before embarking on an impromptu game of dodge ball.
"Each year it's more fun," Michael Jordan told Ahmad Rashad later. "I get the opportunity to meet these other players socially instead of competing against them. Isiah Thomas, Mark Aguirre, these guys we hate during the season but in the offseason it's a lot of fun."
This game may have taken place on August 11, 1990, just two months following Isiah Thomas' Finals MVP performance in leading the Detroit Pistons to their second consecutive NBA title.
Lastly, this game would serve as a sort of dry run for NBC, who took over NBA broadcasting rights from CBS at the start of the 1990-91 season.
Shout out to Minor Channel for uploading the 1990 Magic Johnson game in full: [ Ссылка ]
Second shout out to S9rgioteca for initially uploading this Thomas clip, sans Isiah interview: [ Ссылка ]
The Orlando Sentinel's 1990 article on NBA charity games, including Magic Johnson's: [ Ссылка ]
