MJ's Revenge

Ainge Beats Jordan at Golf; MJ Torches Celtics for 63

By Danny Ainge

In 1986, I was playing on a Boston Celtics team led by Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish and I still believe it is one of the best in the history of the league. We felt like we were going to win the championship, and we did, but I suppose that confident feeling kind of allowed us to take other teams for granted, at least in the early rounds of the playoffs.

We were playing the Bulls in the first round, so when Mike Carey, who covered the Celtics for the Boston Herald, asked me if I wanted to play golf on an off day with Michael Jordan and Mark Vancil, a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, I said sure.

Michael was just taking up golf and had been getting lessons from Davis Love III, so I knew he loved to play. But on that day, I had the better game and beat him, which, of course, he wasn't too happy about. Michael always was one of the great trash-talkers on the court, and he was the same way on the golf course. He just couldn't back it up quite as well.

Our defensive specialist at the time was Dennis Johnson, who was a great player. But when we dropped Michael off at the hotel, he was still ticked about losing in golf, and he told me:

"Tell your man D.J. I got something for him tomorrow."

The next day, Michael scored 63, which is still the record for the playoffs. We won the game in double overtime, but watching him that day was incredible. DJ picked up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter and I was in foul trouble the entire second half. Larry, Kevin and Robert all took swipes at him, Bill Walton played 25 minutes in that game and he fouled out -- Michael just made our defense look helpless.

Larry said it best later: "I think he's God disguised at Michael Jordan."

Everyone know Michael was an excellent player, but I think that was the first time everyone realized how great he was. I know I certainly learned a lesson:

I should not have beaten him in golf.