Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the GOAT thanks to a storied career that saw him win 6 NBA titles, 6 Finals MVPs, 5 MVPs, a DPOY award, and you can just go on and on when listing down his accomplishments. Jordan was relentless in his quest for greatness and was a cold-blooded assassin on the court.
Whether it was practice or a game, Jordan always went full tilt, and it was a big reason why he enjoyed so much success. That competitive nature showed up even when he was just hanging out with a friend, as Ahmad Rashad once found out.
Rashad was a former NFL player who became an incredibly successful broadcaster, and he was very good friends with MJ. He once asked Jordan to play 1-on-1 against him when they were just hanging out and it didn’t end well, to say the least.
via GQ:
One time we were in his yard and we were just messing around, so I was trying to play. It was just the two of us. I was like, “Hey, let’s play one on one.” He was like, “S***, I ain’t playing you one on one.” I’m like, “Come on, man.” He’s like, “I ain’t playing you.” So he took the ball first and shot and made it. It was my turn to take the ball and every time I dribbled it, he took it.
He wouldn’t even let me dribble. He was guarding me so tight. I was like, “Shit, man, it ain’t that serious, is it?” [laughs] “Yep, it is. I’m not going to let you make one basket. Matter of fact, I ain’t going to let you even dribble.” It only lasted about three or four minutes.
It is really not all that surprising that Jordan didn’t give an inch here. Rashad should have known that better than anyone else, considering how close they were, but he thought his good friend would take it easy for once. He clearly didn’t, and Rashad probably never asked MJ to play 1-on-1 with him ever again. Jordan wasn’t the only all-time great that Rashad played 1-on-1, though, as he even went up against a young Shaquille O’Neal once.
Michael Jordan And Ahmad Rashad Share A Special Bond
Jordan was never the most likable person in the world, and it was very difficult to get into his inner circle, but he and Rashad hit it off right away. Rashad often interviewed Jordan as well, and not many got MJ to open up as he did.
They have remained very good friends for years, and Rashad once stated that they speak every day. Their special relationship meant he also got an inside look into the Chicago Bulls during their dynastic run, and Rashad was featured a lot in The Last Dance Documentary.
While Jordan and Rashad’s friendship is still going strong after all these years, that is not the case when it comes to Jordan and Charles Barkley. The two were best friends during their playing days but haven’t spoken now for almost 10 years after Barkley was critical of the way he was running the Charlotte franchise. You wish Jordan would get over it after all these years, but he clearly won’t.
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