Michael Jordan gauged his opponents on the level of killer instinct they brought to the court. And when he knew if they didn’t have it.
And he felt the same way about Shaquille O’Neal. But prior to figuring that bit out, the Chicago Bulls legend admitted that he was intimidated by the big man.
“When I came back from baseball, I don’t know if I’ve ever told anyone this, I’m playing against Shaq,” Jordan told The Ringer’s Jackie MacMullan on her “Icons Club” podcast.
He further added that the former Orlando Magic star was the biggest he saw in terms of physicality. “He was this big, massive guy when I came back from baseball, so I was somewhat intimidated.”
Michael Jordan: “I didn’t really know how to play against him. Do I go right at him? Do I stop and pull up? Blah blah blah. So I went right at him and he just knocked me straight to the floor, and then he reached down to pick me up.
“But his heart is too good. He’s not that type of guy. It took away some of the intimidation factor.”
MacMullan: “You knew you had him?”
Michael Jordan: “I did.”
The year Jordan returned to the NBA’s regular season late after his baseball stint, the Bulls were trounced 4-2 by O’Neal and Anfernee Hardway’s side in the 1995 Eastern Conference semi-finals. It’s also worth noting that the former big man was also the last player to beat Jordan in the playoffs.
The first game between Jordan and O’Neal was in 1993 when the Magic played against the Bulls. Jordan scored 23 points coupled with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks, while Shaquille O’Neal scored 19 points and 11 rebounds. The Bulls beat the Magic 112-106.
The following season saw Jordan call time on his career, but he returned in 1995 for the last 17 games of the regular season. The Bulls advanced to play the Magic in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals where Shaq and Hardaway beat Jordan and Scottie Pippen 4-2.
But the following year, the Bulls got the better of the Magic next season sweeping them 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The narrative was simple: Jordan’s meteoric rise and subsequent dominance in the NBA had more to do than just his skill. He was a cold-blooded killer on the hardwood and ruthless — something that set him apart from the rest of the players in the league.
Shaquille O’Neal Jokes He Could Have Guarded Michael Jordan When He Scored 64 Points Against The Orlando Magic
Shaquille O’Neal knew greatness when he saw it, but that didn’t mean he was going to back away from a challenge.
His first skirmish against the Bulls in his rookie season saw him register a solid double-double with 29 points, 24 rebounds, and 5 blocks. But what he had wasn’t enough, as MJ had a monster night with 64 points and 5 steals. That, though, didn’t deter the center, who joked that he could have defended Jordan.
“This was thirty years ago today, Michael was lucky I wasn’t guarding him. lol”
The Magic may have won that game 128-124, but there was no doubt that MJ would have coasted past anybody who would have been assigned to guard him during that game.
More importantly, Jordan had the better of the center when in 1996 when the two met in the postseason. So, he would have walked off with the bragging rights irrespective.
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