In a recent chat on the Jaxxson Podcast, NBA legend Dominique Wilkins told the story of one his most memorable encounters with Michael Jordan. Wilkins likened the Bulls legend to an assassin on the court and reflected on the time when he came into their locker room in Chicago to issue a staunch warning.
“Jordan was an assassin,” said Wilkins.” He did something that I’ve never had anybody do. I had 57 in Atlanta and we had to go back to Chicago a little while later and he walks into our locker room with a suit and tie. I’m thinking that maybe he’s going to the training room, but he walks by me and gets to Randy Wittman and taps him on the shoulder and he says ‘Lace ’em up it’s gonna be a long night!’ I’m shocked, everyone’s in disbelief… and he had 60 that night.”
Fans and analysts today often speak a lot about how the mental approach and personality of players can have a drastic impact on how their opponents react. In the case of Michael Jordan, his “killer” persona made him known as a ruthless competitor and it wasn’t past him to play mental games with his opponent before obliterating them on the court.
Throughout his NBA career, Michael was always known as an ultra-competitor and he was famous for the way he used to play with such ferocity and anger on the court. The guy was always out for blood — and as a star in the 80s and 90s, Dominique Wilkins had a front-row seat to the action.
The game he mentioned in his latest interview was way back in 1987. Just a few nights after Wilkins scored a career-high 57 points against Jordan and the Bulls, they had their chance for revenge when the Hawks came to play in Chicago.
Michael, who was itching to make a statement, was bold enough to approach his primary defender, guard Randy Wittman, before the game and give him a warning about what was about to happen. And what made Michael different from most trash-talkers is that he always backed it up with sheer dominance on the court.
Of course, this moment was no exception. To make good on his warning, Jordan finished the game with 61 points against the Hawks, going 22-38 from the field while grabbing 10 rebounds. The Bulls won the game and Michael became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to break 3,000 points in a single season.
The moment was years before Jordan’s first championship run but it’s just one of many times that the Bulls legend left his opponents in utter disbelief. Up until his third and final retirement in 2003, Jordan (a 6x champion) was always putting on a show and he was looking to intimidate his opponents by using fear and doubt against them.
Randy Wittman and Dominique Wilkins just happened to be the receiving end of one of Michael’s boldest displays of strength and it clearly left an impression on them that they carry today. While nobody has actually played against Michael in decades, it’s stories like that one that helps keep his legacy fresh after all these years.
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