The old saying goes, ‘You can take the dog out of the fight, but you can’t take the fight out of the dog’ and if there’s ever been an athlete that has epitomized that, Michael Jordan may take top honors.

Earlier this year, Jordan sold a chunk of his stake in the Charlotte Hornets (formerly the Charlotte Bobcats) to a consortium – exiting the ownership game after 13 years in charge.

It was a largely unsuccessful venture on the court, but Jordan still holds a piece of the team – it’s just now under new majority ownership.

Even though he retired in 2003, Jordan never lost his competitive spirit – and decided to prove that to anyone who asked, including his own players.

According to former Charlotte guard Gerald Henderson, the owner still felt the urge to play the game against the league’s latest crop of athletes.

Copy link to paste in your message

Jordan retired in 2003 (above) – and this scrimmage happened when he was 47, but he still won

Copy link to paste in your message

It happened while Jordan owned the Charlotte Hornets. He sold his majority stake this year.

He revealed to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic that Jordan once hopped into a scrimmage in 2010 – right around the time ‘His Airness’ was turning 47-years-old.

‘He jumped on our second team,’ Henderson said. ‘Our first team had like Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace, Ray Felton, and — who else started that year? — Boris Diaw.

‘On our second team it was me, Derrick Brown, D.J. Augustin, maybe Tyrus (Thomas) and somebody else. He looked like prime Michael Jordan, without the quickness and the jumping ability. But it was just all MJ work. Talking smack the whole time.

‘He kept going back and forth with Stephen Jackson. Jack at that time was like a borderline All-Star. He had a really good season the season before and I think in the media he was talking about how he should have been an All-Star.

‘I guess Jack went to the basket and throws up a shot and the coaches didn’t call a foul. Jack yells out, “Yo, that’s a foul,” this and that.

‘MJ comes down and hits the game-winner. Game’s over and Jack is still talking, “that’s a foul.” Jordan goes “The MFer ain’t never been an All-Star but wants all the All-Star calls.” We was like “Oh, s–t. Damn that was a little harsh.”‘

In the 13 seasons that he was majority owner, the Hornets only had three winning seasons and made the playoffs twice. Both times they lost in the first round to the Miami Heat.