Michael Wilbon is one of the few people who have VIP access to His Airness, Michael Jordan. MJ used to call Wilbon to complain about the things the media was saying about him or the way he or his colleague referred to new players in the league. He witnessed MJ’s greatness, so he knows the man like few.
Talking with The Rich Eisen Show this week, Wilbon told details about his conversation with Jordan, revealing plenty of interesting things. Moreover, he talked about LeBron James, revealing what Jordan told him once about the King.
“This is an off-the-record thing that he would probably frown on me for telling, but I’m going to tell it,” Wilbon revealed. “There were times earlier in LeBron’s career, and sort of sprinkled throughout, where people got critical of LeBron. Whether it was ‘The Decision,’ whether it was a play, passing off to Donyell Marshall, whatever. People think Michael Jordan resents LeBron. To me, there’s evidence to the contrary, in that there’d be a phone call.
“I’d answer the phone, and this is what I’d hear on the other end. ‘Hey, don’t take a shot at LeBron, that’s just garbage. This kid is great. There’s no need to take a shot at him.’ That conversation is playing out with him knowing it’s not going to be repeated — it’s not going to be told on PTI, it’s not going to be written about in the Washington Post, or on ESPN.com.
“So that happened. And that happened with young players that Michael liked, like somewhere between occasionally and frequently. You know, defend Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry, early on… there were certain players Michael would call up and say, “Hey, hey, stop. This is not…” or if he knew I knew the person he’d say, ‘Tell your boy he’s wrong.’”
As Wilbon said, people often think MJ is not a fan of LeBron or dislikes him. Well, according to the journalist, the GOAT stood up for Bron and defended him more than once. That doesn’t mean he will let anybody surpass him as the greatest ever, but Jordan cares about the young players in the league, as Wilbon revealed.
