From 1994 to 2007, former guard Jalen Rose enjoyed a great career in the NBA. While he was never considered a star back in his day, Rose was always an important rotation player for his team and he crossed paths with many of the game’s all-time greatest players.
So when the 49-year-old stepped up and revealed the toughest players he has ever had to guard, it’s no surprise that a lot of people listened.
Starting with Glenn Robinson, he explained them all one by one.
“Number five: Glenn Robinson. Balled at Purdue, crazy post-game, crazy mid-range could turn over both shoulders. The number one overall pick in the ’94 Draft. Grant Hill. When he got drafted by the Pistons, he made all-pro 7 straight seasons. Number three: T-Mac. I know he was 6’9,” but this pogo stick may have been closer to 7-feet without everybody realizing it.”
The biggest surprise was Kobe Bryant. Considering the time that Bryant famously dropped 81 on Rose’s head, one would imagine he would have to be at the top of the list. Instead, Rose had him second, right behind Michael Jordan.
“Number two: the Black Mamba, Kobe Bean Bryant. Number one: MJ. He’s the toughest I’ve ever had to guard.”
Jalen Rose’s True Feelings On Michael Jordan
As you can see, Jalen got to play against some pretty steep competition during his career, and plenty of them gave him trouble on the offensive end. Regarding Jordan, specifically, it’s no secret that Rose thinks very highly of the 6x Champion.
“When you talk about the best players of all time, you ultimately start talking about who’s the GOAT. And when you talk about GOAT, the first word is ‘Greatest.’ That means achieved more than somebody else. And if we’re comparing Michael Jordan and LeBron, for example, Michael Jordan got ten scoring titles LeBron has one. Michael Jordan has been Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA, LeBron hasn’t. Michael Jordan has two separate three-peats, LeBron doesn’t have one three-peat. And so, like, you don’t necessarily even need to watch them play to acknowledge that what Michael Jordan achieved just solely on the court is greater.” (h/t SportsKeeda).
Obviously, Jalen’s list was entirely subjective, but it does paint a good picture of which players were dominating the NBA landscape at the time.
Unsurprisingly, when it comes to star power in the 90s and 2000s, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan were at the top of the food chain and everybody knew it.
