- Jordan’s encounter showcases his insecurity and competitiveness, highlighting his drive for supremacy
- Jordan was livid with Smith for raving about LeBron James
- The incident highlights Jordan’s knack for narrative control
Stephen A. Smith reveals the unbelievable story of what happened to him in 2005. During the All-Star Game in Denver, he was walking down the street when a long black car stopped near him.
He was scared and didn’t know what would happen to him but suddenly a window opened and he saw Charles Oakley.
“I’m at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Denver a few years ago and I had– to say that LeBron James may have been the greatest 20-year-old that I had seen cause his body, mass, etc, etc.”
“I was driving down the street, I thought it was type of drive-by that was about go on. Some big black sedan, stretched sedan, came rolling up, slowed down when it saw me.”
“The window opened up and Charles Oakley was sitting there smiling at me and I saw a little finger looking at me and say– and all of a sudden a head peeked out and it was Michael Jordan.”
Michael Jordan didn’t like what Stephen A. Smith had said about LeBron James and he was very clear about that.
“Michael Jordan said, ‘Don’t you ever say something like that again. Don’t you ever do that Stephen A. Six rings, Stephen A. Can he get one please?”
MJ is the most INSECURE superstar EVER.
MJ rolled up on Stephen A to yell at him because he said LeBron may have been the greatest 20 year old basketball player he's ever seen.
MJ was 42 at the time and jealous of a 20 year old.
So jealous in fact that he had to bring up the… pic.twitter.com/4i8P5jQHu0
— UncoveringTheTruth (commentary) (@shendy456) August 25, 2023
The incident shed light on Michael Jordan’s well-known trait of being an insecure superstar, willing to go to great lengths to maintain his image and narrative.
The fact that he felt compelled to bring up his six championship rings in response to a young LeBron James speaks volumes about his competitive nature and the lengths he would go to ensure his legacy remained untarnished.
Young LeBron James, at that time, spent two seasons with the Cavaliers, and it was a little bit strange, that Michael Jordan was sensitive about who was the greatest 20-year-old player in NBA history.
But, he shows once again his competitive side and shows very laud to Stephen A. Smith what is this about.
Michael Jordan Reminded Everyone That He Is Still The GOAT
During the 90s and 00s, Michael Jordan was labeled as the greatest player of all time and yes, he was. He won six championships, never lost an NBA Finals, and no one came close to him during his domination with the Chicago Bulls.
But, as years passed on, the younger generation always admired players in their era rather than older players from the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s.
The perfect example was that once Wilt Chamberlain was the GOAT, then it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then Julius Erving… until Larry Bird and Magic Johnson showed up and took over the league.
When Michael Jordan stepped on the floor, he became the face of the NBA. David Stern recognized the marketing potential and global effect and just followed the waves of the new era.
Michael Jordan won six championships and had two three-peats in his career, something that we previously saw only from the Boston Celtics. And after his career was over, he was the greatest player of all time, without any doubt.
Until LeBron James showed up…
Young LeBron was the most athletic player in the league, he was unstoppable, he was something special, and suddenly fans leaning toward him and talking about his greatness.
Stephen A. Smith recognized that, and Michael Jordan’s reaction shows that he wanted to remind everyone that six is more than zero and that he is still the GOAT. LeBron, at that time, had zero championships, then he took his talents to the Miami Heat and won two championships in a row.
But, no one even questioned that Jordan was the GOAT until LeBron won the 2016 championship with the Cavs after a 3-1 comeback against the Warriors. Reportedly, that was the main reason why Michael Jordan decided to allow ESPN to create a legendary ‘The Last Dance’ documentary series.
After LeBron James won his third championship, he felt he was the greatest player of all time.
And just like in 2005, when Michael Jordan reminded Stephen A. Smith that he was the GOAT, fifteen years later, in 2020, he decided to remind the whole world why he is still the GOAT by showing ‘The Last Dance’ and reminding younger generation that he is still on the throne.
Michael Jordan, even in his retirement, wanted to keep the narrative that he is the greatest player of all time. Even though he never proclaimed himself to be the GOAT like LeBron James. But still, he found a way to remind everyone that he is still the GOAT.
When we compare Michael Jordan and LeBron James, clearly Jordan still has an edge over LeBron. His accolades and success speak for itself. To be completely fair, Michael Jordan never considered himself as the greatest player of all time as you can see in the video below.
Of course, that doesn’t stop him from sending a message to Stephen A. Smith at 5:54 in the morning and telling him that Magic Johnson is the greatest point guard of all time.
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