Featured Image Credit: Aurelien Meunier / Contributor/NBA
Topics: Michael Jordan, Basketball, Sport
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: Michael Jordan, Basketball, Sport
If you managed to nail a hail mary shot from three-quarters the length of a basketball court for a grand million-dollar prize, you'd hope there would be some reward, right?
During a timeout on April 14, 1994, as the Chicago Bulls faced off with the Miami Heat, one fan wowed the world with his impressive heave.
Launching the basketball like a javelin, office supply salesman Don Calhoun made the stadium erupt in stunned applause as he landed the shot.
He was then embraced by the Bull's teammate like one of their own, handing out high fives and a hug to legend Michael Jordan, who'd told him 'great shot kid'.
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High praise indeed.
19 people had tried and failed to take the shot before Calhoun nailed it, and he soon became famous for his incredible exploit.
However, Don would find out, it would be a lot harder to get his money than he'd expected.
The insurance company didn't want to pay out, arguing that because Calhoun had played college basketball, he broke the competition's rules.
Eventually, the event's sponsors promised to pay him the money if the insurance company wouldn't and for the next 20 years, he received an annual payment of $50,000, though after taxes it was $38,000.
A few weeks later, he met Jordan again, telling ABC7 that he wanted to get the basketball legend's signature on the ball he'd made the shot with.
Calhoun heard from a friend that Jordan always went to see one of his kids play basketball at their school, so the million dollar shot man showed up with his ball in the hopes of getting Jordan's signature on it.
Jordan's security told Calhoun that the basketball star didn't sign anything while at his kid's game, though when things were coming to an end, a security guard told him he could walk with Jordan to his car.
According to Calhoun, the first thing Jordan asked him when they were walking together was: "Did you get your money?"
What the basketball star said after hearing that Calhoun did get the money absolutely stunned the man, as he revealed that Jordan then told him: "We made them give it to you.
"We were upset that they were trying not to pay you."
In the end, Calhoun also got Jordan's signature on his iconic ball after being told that, while he wouldn't sign anything at his kid's game, if the ball was sent to his steakhouse he'd sign and return it.
While Calhoun was worried that he'd never see his prized possession again, he decided to trust Jordan and he later got a call from the steakhouse telling him 'Michael signed it and he wishes you well'.