This is the biggest news story coming out of the NBDL since the Greenville Groove took down the North Charleston Lowgators for the first NBDL championship.

In an attempt to attract fans, the Utah Flash have been pitching a Michael Jordan-Bryon Russell 1-on-1 game at halftime of their home opener since September. But had the team heard anything from Sir Michael since first issuing the challenge? Of course not!

But this is the best part… To make people believe that Jordan was in town for the ‘re-match,’ Flash owner Brandt Andersen sent out a Jordan lookalike to travel around town and even created a video for the internet of the Jordan imposter eating a local restaurant to create buzz around town that Jordan was really there. This is HRBL!

So when it came down to halftime of Monday’s game in Orem, Utah, more than 7,500 fans were EXTREMELY disappointed when the Jordan imposter walked onto the court! The fans started booing and leaving the arena, fully aware of the hoax.

There are two things I can’t believe here – First off, how could the Flash ownership really think this was going to work? Secondly, I can’t believe they actually got 7,500 people into this arena thinking Jordan was going to come out and play a game of 1-on-1 with Bryon Russell of all people!

If you’re wondering why Jordan would be matched up with Russell for this event, then you must recall Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals when Jordan crossed up Russell, in what may have been a push off by MJ, and then sinked a jumper to win the game and end the series for championship #6.

There is no way Jordan would ever do this. His ego is WAY too big to be playing at halftime of a measly NBDL crowd. He would sooner go through months of rigorous training to make the NBA, rather than to play a game of 1-on-1 in front of 100 people.

Publicity stunts are not unlikely in minor league sports. Many minor league baseball teams will dig deep for some wild themed nights. But those are very rarely any kind of hoax, they are normally something stupid that people in small towns having nothing better to do than to attend. In this case, these people were duped big time, but again, they may have had nothing better to do anyway.

If getting Michael Jordan to show up was this easy, our staff member G would have had MJ at his 5^th grade b-day party.

But, what if Jordan and Russell actually came out and played 1-on-1?

It probably would be the most miserable game of 1-on-1 in history. When Jordan goes to do a crossover, he wouldn’t just lean on Russell and push off, but he would actually fall on Russell. Of course, Jordan would get the benefit of the doubt from the celebrity ref – a Tim Donaghy impersonator.

BANG BANG!

-Shooter