MICHAEL JORDAN went to university in Chapel Hill.
But last night the football champions of Scotland slam-dunked their English counterparts in their own basketball match here.
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This seven-goal thriller at the Kenan Memorial Stadium went back and forth like an NBA classic.
Nicolas Kuhn put on his own starring display as he hit a brilliant double then teed up Kyogo Furuhashi to give Celtic a 3-1 half-time lead.
After the break Maximo Perrone and Erling Haaland added to Oscar Bob’s earlier strike for Manchester City to level things up before sub Luis Palma struck a fourth for Celtic.
Kasper Schmeichel also put on a top show on his debut as he twice denied Haaland with brilliant stops before the break.
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Legend of the hoops Jordan studied geography on his scholarship at the University of North Carolina back in the early eighties.
But the green and white Hoops will be going places again if they can maintain this sort of performance when the Scottish season gets underway.
There was drama before the clash when the stadium was evacuated because of a severe weather warning.
That’s common procedure for matches involving the Tar Heels – the uni’s college American football team – when a lightning strike falls within eight miles of the stadium.
But the thunderstorms didn’t materialise and things started in sweltering conditions just after the scheduled 12.30am start.
After that it was time for Brendan Rodgers’ side to reign in front of over 30,000 fans.
Both teams emerged flanked by the respective trophies they won last season as Rodgers and Pep Guardiola exchanged some friendly words on the touchline.
City were without their stars who had played at the Euros but Erling Haaland skippered the side. Jack Grealish started too after his England snub and was quickly into his stride.
His pass teed up Nico O’Reilly who somehow managed to skew his shot wide of Schmeichel’s goal.
Schmeichel was making his Hoops debut against the side where he came through the ranks after jetting in on Saturday.
The Hoops quickly hit back and Kyogo should have fired them in front when he was picked out by Daizen Maeda but drilled wide.
Stephen Welsh crunched into a challenge on Grealish to send out a signal that Celtic wouldn’t be overawed by City.
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Then in the 14th minute they took a deserved lead. Reo Hatate started the move, then found Matt O’Riley.
His quick pass into the feet of Kuhn sent the German scampering in on goal and he slotted beyond Stefan Ortega.
City threatened and after James McAtee was denied by Schmeichel from a close angle, the goalie then made a brilliant save in trademark style as he spread himself to block Haaland’s goalmouth strike.
Moments later he pulled off an even better stop from the Norwegian.
He came so close to stopping City grabbing their 33rd-minute equaliser too. When Haaland dummied O’Reilly’s pass it left Bobb standing free inside the box.
This time Schmeichel got his body in the way but agonisingly saw the ball squirm under him and into the net.
But the Hoops took just four minutes to regain the lead as Kuhn finished again in devastating fashion.
Hatate found him in an inside right position and he cut inside before drilling home a left-foot finish.
Hatate and Maeda both thrashed chances wide before Kuhn was involved again as the Hoops went further in front on the stroke of half-time.
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This time he was the provider with a stunning pass to Kyogo, whose touch to take him wide of Ortega then finish beyond the goalie was even better.
Kuhn and Schmeichel were among four changes at the break – and replacement goalie Viljami Sinisalo was picking the ball out of the net inside sixty seconds of the restart.
Bobb found City sub Perrone who steered the ball past the Finn with his first touch.
Sinisalo did well to thwart Joel Ndala soon after but was powerless to deny Haaland in the 58th minute when he climbed highest at the back post to nod home Bobb’s cross.
Incredibly the Hoops took the lead again when sub Hyeok-Kyu Kwon was sent scampering clear then kept his cool to draw replacement keeper Ederson before slotting across to Palma to finish.
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Ben Knight stung Sinisalo’s gloves before there were three pitch invaders later in the game – two of whom ran up and hugged Palma.
But at full-time it was all smiles for the Hoops, who have now not lost to City in three clashes after their Champions League draws back in 2016.
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