At age 23, Katie Ledecky is already one of the best swimmers in history — if not the best female distance swimmer of all time.
Ledecky was touched by greatness early, when she famously got an autograph from Michael Phelps — swimming’s undisputed GOAT — as a nine-year-old in 2006. But an even younger Ledecky once met another GOAT from another sport at a Washington arena when she was just a small child.
Little Ledecky once played peek-a-boo with NBA legend Michael Jordan, though as she writes in the Twitter post where she shared the video, "he didn't stand a chance against my popcorn."
Jordan is the subject of the documentary "The Last Dance," which debuted parts 1 and 2 on ESPN last weekend to record ratings. Episodes 3 and 4 will air Sunday night, beginning at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN, and Ledecky said she’d be grabbing her popcorn again.
Grabbing my popcorn for tonight’s episodes of #TheLastDance. I can tell you one thing about Michael Jordan: he’s a tough peek-a-boo player but he didn’t stand a chance against my popcorn. pic.twitter.com/fvAWlzNhuQ
Ledecky, born and raised in the D.C. area, grew up going to Washington Capitals games, where her uncle, Jon Ledecky, was a former minority owner before becoming the New York Islanders co-majority owner in 2016.
Jordan, after retiring following his sixth and final championship with the Chicago Bulls in 1998, struck a deal to become president of basketball operations and part owner of the Washington Wizards in 2000. He would play two seasons for the Wizards as a player-owner in 2001-02 and 2002-03. It was around that time the young Ledecky met his Airness.
Ledecky has won six medals, including five golds, in two Olympics and should be one of the big attractions at the next Summer Games in Tokyo.
Katie Ledecky celebrates after winning the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2016 Rio Olympics. (Photo: Rob Schumacher, USA TODAY Sports)
She kicked off her Olympic career with a gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2012 London Games, then became one of the biggest stars in Rio four years later when she defended her gold in the 800 and also won the 400-meter freestyle — both in world-record times. She also earned golds in the 200-meter fresestyle and the 4×200 freestyle relay, as well as silver in the 4×100 freestyle relay in 2016.
Jordan also shined at the Olympics in addition to all his accomplishments in the NBA. In 1984 following his junior and final season at North Carolina, Jordan led a group of collegiate All-Stars at the Los Angeles Olympics to Team USA's last gold medal in the amateur era. Then in 1992, he was one of the main faces of the legendary "Dream Team" in Barcelona.
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