Michael Jordan's message to Cory Higgins that you won't find on social media / News - Basketnews.com

Cory Higgins shared the text message he received from his godfather, Michael Jordan, following his iconic shot in the 2021 Final Four. However, he disagreed with the comparison to one of Jordan's famous shots.

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As the clock ticked down in the Final Four semifinal matchup between EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and FC Barcelona, it felt as if time had come to a standstill.

3-pointers this season

39%9,9Points made:9,9Accuracy:38,7%Place in standings:5Record max:17Record min:3Most made 3FGs:Nicolas LaprovittolaTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

All eyes were on Kevin Punter as he took an open 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds left on the clock. But in a heart-wrenching moment, the shot clanged off the rim.

A wave of relief swept over the Barcelona bench. But there were still six seconds left in the game, and the ball was in the hands of Cory Higgins.

Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius called for a clear path for Higgins, who spotted Shavon Shields ahead.

With time running out, Higgins took matters into his own hands. He showed intentions of driving to the hoop but quickly released a pull-up.

The shot hit nothing but the net, sealing an 84-82 victory for Barcelona and crushing Milan's dreams of making it to the final.

Many basketball enthusiasts have compared this moment to one of the most iconic shots in the history of the sport - the game-winning shot made by Michael Jordan in his final game with the Chicago Bulls in 1998.

It's a fitting comparison, as Cory Higgins is none other than the godson of the basketball legend himself.

"Obviously, there were a lot of messages last night. If you're asking specifically if he messaged me, not yet," Higgins responded if Michael Jordan texted him after the game-winner. "I'm sure he's seen it. Maybe I'll get a message from him later."

After a hard-fought Final Four, where Barcelona came in second place behind Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Higgins received a text.

"He told me a good shot, good game. It was as simple as that. It was nothing crazy," Higgins reminisced on the BasketNews Talks. "I don't think it was directly after the game. I think it was maybe some days afterward. I don't remember."

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Higgins, 33, hadn't received much feedback from MJ during his pro career. That included 44 games with Bobcats in 2011-13.

"All the feedback I have was always from my father. He was the main person in my basketball life," Higgins said. "Obviously, he was around MJ, and it was more like a joking relationship than constructive criticism."

Higgins disagrees with the 1998 shot comparison, though.

"Yeah, there were a lot of messages about that. There was a completely different shot than his," Higgins admitted. "Obviously, mine was on the fast break, but you know, everybody loves to remind everybody that that's my godfather, so it's expected."

Despite the disappointment of losing the title game, Higgins had a standout EuroLeague season with Barcelona, averaging 13.1 points, 2.4 assists, and 13.8 PIR. The team went on to win the Spanish league and Copa del Rey, with Higgins named MVP of the cup.

However, the following season was plagued with injuries for Higgins, resulting in a career-low 8.7 points per game in the EuroLeague.

Despite returning for the season's final stretch, Barcelona could not claim victory in both the EuroLeague and Spanish championships.

But in retrospect, the season ended up being a much-needed break for Higgins, who needed to take a step back and focus on his health and well-being before coming back stronger.

"It was the most difficult season of my professional career on the court. But I wouldn't say off the court. I think off the court, it was actually one of the most beneficial for me mentally," Higgins revealed.

"I had a lot of chances to work on myself and strengthen my mind and faith, which is most important. I wasn't on the court, and I wasn't able to contribute how I wanted to a lot of disappointing times on the court. But this was actually one of the most enjoyable times because I got to become a better version of myself, in my opinion," Higgins revealed.

"I had to realize that my identity was not basketball. I think too many basketball players solely identify with the game. I never have, but this really made me take a little bit of a step forward and realize what my true identity is. So it just makes life a little bit easier when it allows you to deal with things. When hardships come, you know how to deal with them. I think going forward, that will help me on the court," Higgins thinks.

He already felt some clear advantages.

"I deal with the lows much better. I'm not scared of the lows. So when criticism comes, or I'm not playing well on the court, it's much easier for me to function. I know who I am and what my identity is," Higgins explained.

"I've never thought about the past in general, but after this, I don't have to prove anybody except to the Lord. That's the only person I'm trying to live for every day. So everything else is secondary, and yeah, I have nothing to prove to anyone," he concluded.

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Cory Higgins has built a reputation for being a consummate professional on and off the court. In 2015, head coach Dimitris Itoudis took a chance on him, bringing him to CSKA straight from a 10th-seeded Turkish squad, Gaziantep, despite his lack of EuroLeague experience.

This move was unusual for the EuroLeague powerhouse, but they saw something special in Higgins. Beyond his scoring and all-around game, Higgins was also known for his humble and disciplined personality.

"First and foremost, my parents, for sure," Higgins said when asked who influenced him the most.

Even today, his teammates frequently describe him as "the best of the best" in attitude and work ethic.

"Everybody thinks that it's very nice and easy growing up like that. But you have to have a different mindset at all times, especially being also the godson of Michael Jordan. I think that helped form me into somebody that is just solid."

Cory's father, Rod Higgins, created a strong bond with MJ. When Jordan was a minority Bobcats owner, a 13-year NBA veteran was hired as Charlotte's general manager.

This relationship undoubtedly played a role in shaping Cory's mentality.

"And I can very easily black out other distractions and just focus on what needs to be focused on and what's real. It's very easy for me to see through all the fake stuff," he said.

"You don't see me on social media. I don't really like social media at all," Higgins smiled.

Higgins also mentioned that he initially had no interest in doing an interview. But the Barcelona press officer convinced him to participate in a conversation beyond basketball. It turned out to be a valuable and insightful talk.

"It's just not for me," Higgins explained his approach on social media. "I think there are great benefits. It's the social media age. But it's just a personal preference for me because it's very distracting. You see interviews with guys... You see, I don't know... There's a lot of fakeness on social media. So I just try to stay away from it. I don't like commenting on stuff, or you won't see me on Twitter. Never," he smiled.

"I think in my second or third season in Europe, I just realized it wasn't for me, and I was happier when I wasn't participating. Maybe that was because of my mindset. And growing up how I did and not trusting outside of my family probably had something to do with it as well," Higgins concluded.

"I was never surprised by anything. I think that's what made it easy to adjust to this high stage of Europe," Higgins continued, what impacted his mindset off and on the court. "I've seen the highest level since I was a little kid, so there was nothing to be scared of. Nothing to be scared of on the court at any time throughout my career."

"So I think that helped me a lot. When you combine that with how my parents raised me, I think that's why I was able to have the opportunity with culture to this after having zero-year league experience," he added.

"The good old Cory is back," his teammates grinned as they celebrated their early January El Clasico victory.

A couple of minutes into the fourth quarter, Sarunas Jasikevicius had been on the verge of benching Higgins. But instead, the veteran stole the spotlight.

Higgins scored 14 of his 18 points in the final 8 minutes of the game, leading Barcelona to a narrow 87-78 win over Real Madrid. Nine days later, he matched his EuroLeague season-high of 17 points against back-to-back champions Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

This isn't the first time Higgins has been overlooked in his career. But history shows he's one of the most efficient all-around scorers in the game, with two EuroLeague titles under his belt.

In three championship games, he's averaged 18.3 points, which ranks him 5th all-time.

And with a strong season, he's on pace to enter the Top 20 all-time EuroLeague scorers list.

Higgins is also on track to become the third highest-scoring player from the United States in EuroLeague history.

Though some may overlook them, don't count Barcelona out of the running for the trophy just yet.

"There are strengths everywhere where we have champions down the roster. Yearly champions. That's hard to replace. You have to give some credit for that," Higgins stated.

"So I think our biggest strength is in numbers now, in my opinion. I think that people writing us off early is good for us because we're a veteran team, and everybody knows how to win. That's something that matters a lot. Winning is difficult," he explained.

"I know everybody believes in the same common goal in our locker room. We all are champions. We have the same common goal and expect to be there at the end of the season like we have been," Higgins concluded.

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