Michael Jordan Played Basketball at Van Andel Arena

He was one of basketball's best. He played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. I'm talking about the one and only Michael Jordan.

He played with the Bulls from 1984-1993 before deciding he wanted to play Minor League Baseball. That didn't work out so well for him, and he traded baseballs for a basketball once again. He returned to play for the Bulls in March 1995.

Jordan decided to retire from the NBA a second time in January 1999, but a few years later decided once again to return to the NBA and played two more seasons with the Washington Wizards from 2001-2003.

It was during his time with the Washington Wizards that Michael Jordan actually played a basketball game at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI!

It was Thursday, October 18, 2001. There was a sell out crowd of 11,639 in attendance at the Van Andel. Jordan was playing in just his third exhibition game since returning to the NBA after enjoying a few years of retirement. Jordan was on the court for 36 minutes, despite spraining his left foot the previous Saturday in Miami.

In his time on the hardwoods, Jordan scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds, but his Washington Wizards lost 114-88 to the Detroit Pistons. (Jerry Stackhouse scored a game-high 36 points for Detroit in that game.)

An Associated Press report of the game did not paint a very flattering picture of Jordan, saying: "He looked like a player still trying to shake off some rust. He made a few crafty cuts to the basket -- with and without the ball --  but was unable to finish several layups, both of the standard and reverse variety. His shooting touch was inconsistent, as the 13 missed shots showed."

Regardless of his performance, you had to admit it was pretty cool to have such a basketball great playing a game at the Van Andel Arena! Were you at the game?

Here is a video of Michael Jordan's Top 10 Washington Wizards Plays...