On Saturday, Fastbreak Hoops took to X to remind fans of one of Michael Jordan’s late-career masterpieces, captioning a video highlight, "A 40-year-old Jordan torched the Nets for 43 and carried the Wizards to the win."
That very tweet hearkened back to February 21, 2003, when Jordan poured in 43 points on 18-of-30 shooting in an 89-86 victory at Capital One Arena (formerly known as the MCI Center) in Washington.
Not one to stay silent, Richard Jefferson, LeBron James’ former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate during their 2016 NBA championship run, and current ESPN analyst, replied from his own X account, "We had the #1 defense and went to the finals that year… ðð. Got cooked."
Jefferson was pointing to the 2002-03 New Jersey Nets, who boasted the NBA’s stingiest defense (league-best 96.6 defensive rating), yet still couldn’t contain Jordan.
The Nets would go on to win the Atlantic Division with a 49-33 record before pushing all the way to the NBA Finals, where they ultimately fell 4-2 to the San Antonio Spurs.
While many NBA fans are often quick to dismiss Jordan's Wizards era, this moment was a subtle reminder of how dominant he was even at the age of 40.
NBA legend Michael Jordan.
NBA legend Michael Jordan.
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
When Jordan left the Chicago Bulls for a two-year stint with the Washington Wizards (2001-03), many saw it as a failed coda to a transcendent career.
Yet his on-court production remained elite. In the injury-marred 2001-02 season, Jordan averaged 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, firing the Wizards to a 37-45 record, a notable 18-game improvement over the prior year.
In the following campaign, Jordan maintained a 20.0-point scoring average, logged nine 30-point outings, and notched three separate 40-point games.
His 43-point eruption on February 21 marked the first time in NBA history that a 40-year-old achieved such a feat.