Michael Jordan prevented a lot of people from winning an NBA championship and one of the most famous cases are the Utah Jazz, who faced the Chicago Bulls twice in the NBA Finals but couldn’t do the job against His Airness, who took care of business leading his team to the promised land.
John Stockton was part of that team and he’ll never forget what Jordan meant for his team and his career. During his Hall of Fame speech, the former point guard tried to mock MJ, joking about the aura he had and blaming that one shot over Bryon Russell for Jordan’s success with the fans.
Curiously, he had to talk before the GOAT and he didn’t miss his chance to troll him, trying to resume his career with only one shot (2:30 mark).
“Jordan makes one big shot and everybody thinks he’s kind of cool. I don’t get it,” Stockton said before ceding the stage to MJ. “I had to be the only draftee who was still living at home with his parents.”
Jordan made a lot of ‘enemies’ during his career and by facing and beating Stockton twice in the Finals, the player joined that list, too. In the end, he was just joking but everybody knows things would have been different for John, Karl Malone, and more players that retired ringless thanks to Air Jordan.
Just like Stockton, people always tried to diminish Jordan’s impact on the game and even Tim Duncan claimed he wasn’t impressed by MJ back in 1998. The San Antonio Spurs legend, unlike many other NBA stars, wasn’t impressed by His Airness but that’s not a surprise knowing it’s Tim Duncan we’re talking about.
MJ, though, didn’t forget the Jazz during his speech, teasing Bryon Russell for that exact shot and an old conversation where the Jazz player challenged Jordan.
“When I first met Bryon Russell, I was working out for baseball and they (the Jazz) came down for a workout and I came over to say hello to John (Stockton) and Karl (Malone). And Bryon Russell came over to me and said, ‘You know what man, why’d you quit? You know I could guard you. If I ever see you in a pair of shorts…’
“So when I did decide to come back and we played Utah, I’m at the center circle and Bryon Russell is standing next to me and I look over and say, ‘You remember this conversation you made in 1994 about how you said you could guard me?’ Well, you about to get your chance.”
It’s fair to say that Jordan took things personally even in his Hall of Fame speech, reminding everybody that Russell teased him and he made him pay. He won two championships against the Jazz, cementing his legacy as the greatest to ever do it.
