Today in Philly Sports History: Jordan Posterizes Hendrickson, 1997

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You remember Mark Hendrickson, right? A journeyman MLB pitcher, he tangled with Philly a couple times a few years ago as a starter for the Marlins--he was the 6'9" beanpole that looked like he would probably have fit in better on a basketball court. And that's largely because in a past life, Hendrickson was an NBA player--in fact, he was the 76ers' other pick in the 1996 draft that netted them franchise player Allen Iverson.

Needless to say, AI would stick around a little longer than Hendu, who only played one season and averaged about a 3 and 3 for Philadelphia, before signing as a free agent with the Kings the next season. He did precisely one noteworthy thing as a Liberty Baller--or, rather, he had one noteworthy thing done to him, as Michael Jordan went up for a dunk against Hendrickson in an April 7th, 1997 contest that saw the World Champion Bulls host the Sixers in a somewhat unfair fight. The pic should tell you just about everything you need to know about the results. 

The pic of Jordan climbing Hendrickson for the dunk would become something of an internet cult favorite--especially after it was reported that Mark's then-Marlins teammates would post the picture around the locker room to try to needle him. "He straight up got posterized," said co-starter Scott Olsen. Hendrickson, however, protests to the day that it was a layup, not a dunk that His Airness finished oer him. "That was just a fast break, 2-on-1," says Hendrickson. "I slid over to take a charge and he
hit me pretty hard, and it just makes me amazed that someone could
pose after hitting me that hard."

Whatever you say, Marky Mark.

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