The Ongoing Dance: Roy Green Reflects On Decades-Long Friendship With Michael Jordan

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Like millions of others, Roy Green has enjoyed re-living Michael Jordan's greatness in the acclaimed ESPN documentary, 'The Last Dance.'


Unlike nearly everyone else, the former Cardinals All-Pro wide receiver had a front-row seat for some of the journey.


Green, 62, and Jordan, 57, have been friends for more than 35 years, golfing, vacationing, and "talking crap to each other" since their introduction in 1984.


Green, who is now a radio analyst for the Cardinals, reflected on his friendship with the Bulls legend in a recent interview with AZCardinals.com.


When did you and Jordan meet?


I met him in '84, the year he got drafted. His first endorsement was Coca-Cola, so his agent, David Falk, and a group came to St. Louis under The (Gateway) Arch and they had a big exhibition with some of the draft people. They decided, with what I was doing in St. Louis that year (Note: Green led the NFL with 1,555 receiving yards in 1984) they said, 'Hey, we're going to add Roy Green in there.' So we had a three-on-three game under the Arch.


It was MJ, (Patrick) Ewing, James Worthy, Dominique Wilkins, Johnny Dawkins and myself. That was the first time I met MJ, but it told me all I needed to know about him and what he's about. We talked before and everyone said, 'We're going to have a little fun. Just a little 3-on-3.' And all of a sudden MJ says, 'OK, here's the game.' He said, 'It's going to be me, Worthy and Green.' And I'm like, 'There must be a reason for this. James Worthy at the time, his knee was a little hurt, and he wasn't going to do a whole lot. And me? Are we trying to get killed?'


But within a few moments, you knew. He had this thing that every time he stepped on the court, he wanted them to know, 'I am the best.' He and Dominique almost turned into 1-on-1. They were going at it so hard it was almost unbelievable. And of course, MJ – our team – we won it. I was like, 'Wow. This cat.' We talked a lot afterwards. Stayed in the room and had our Coca-Colas, and we stayed in touch and said we'd hang together again.


Why did your personalities click?


I talk a lot of crap, and MJ talks a lot of crap. There have been moments where he'd try to test me, and I can get at it really quick. I've told him before, 'You know what, man? I'm glad I wasn't a basketball player, because if I'd have been your teammate, I'd have gotten released, because I would have whooped the a-- of the best player.'


A lot of people would love to be in your shoes. What's it like being friends with Jordan?


Are you kidding me? I'm from Magnolia, Arkansas, OK? I was playing football at that particular time, and yeah, I was a good player. I did a lot of amazing things. Everything I did was first class. That's what I thought, until I met MJ.


I'd been to Vegas about eight or nine times before I first met him. But the first time he took me there – of course he took his own private jet – I was like, 'This is not the Vegas I came to.' You get there and the limo picks you up off the plane. They drive right up there (on the tarmac). They take you to, wait a minute, is this the same hotel? There are places that we didn't even know were in this hotel.


You go in and there are butlers 24 hours a day. I'm like, 'Where's the menu?' There's no menu. You just say what you want and they get it.

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