There was just one king of the NBA during the 90s, and that was Michael Jordan. He cost a number of his peers chances at championships, all the while leading his Chicago Bulls to two three-peats. The GOAT was unstoppable on the court and incredibly motivated off of it, constantly training to get better at his craft and finding ways to destroy his opponents.
But despite MJ’s ultra-competitive nature that might have rubbed people the wrong way and led to him being called a bad teammate, youngsters adored him. Jordan’s popularity was so massive at the time that people who didn’t even know anything about basketball had heard his name. And so it stands to reason that everyone wanted to be ‘Like Mike,’ especially the young players that had made it their goal to make it to the NBA and succeed.
One such player was Paul Pierce. One of the best the NBA had ever seen, Pierce was a star in his own right. And he knew that from a young age, especially when he was in college. He was a fan of MJ, too, he admittedly had posters of him on the walls, and he still considers him the GOAT. But the first time he met him, it seems Paul’s pride kicked in.
Paul Pierce Revealed His Thoughts When He First Met Michael Jordan In College
Becoming a superstar requires players to believe they are the best from a very young age. And Pierce, in college, was certain he was already amazing, including thinking that he could match up with Jordan if it came to it.
“I’m like, I can’t believe I have Mike in here. This dude, I had three posters on my wall when I was in high school of Mike, and he’s standing right here. I had a chance to shake his hand, watch him play in a preseason game. One of the greatest, if not the greatest, just to be able to have that moment with him,” Paul said. “That was an awesome moment.
“I remember I looked and I was like, “Ok I’m a little bit taller than Mike now. I could match up with him. I’m saying that stuff in my head, because I knew I never would’ve said it to him as a college kid.”
This occurred in 1997 when Jordan was still very much at the top of his game and was preparing to win the 6th championship of his career. It’s a testament to Pierce’s confidence that he thought that, but it’s good that he didn’t say it to MJ. From everything that is known about His Airness, he would have taken it personally and proved Pierce wrong right then and there.
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