John Calipari Says Michael Jordan Declined to Coach in Kentucky-Carolina Alumni Game

Michael Jordan declined an opportunity to coach in the Kentucky-Carolina Alumni Game set for Sept. 13 at Rupp Arena, according to John Calipari.

“I tried to get Michael to come back and coach the team but he’s going to be out of the country or something,” Calipari told Kentucky reporters, according to KentuckySportsRadio.com.

Set to tip off Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m. ET, the game will feature Kentucky players either currently or formerly playing professionally against North Carolina players either currently or formerly playing professionally.

Meantime, Calipari is set to be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame on Sept. 10 where he will join His Airness.

Written by Adam Zagoria

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Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.