The NBA is filled with some of the greatest athletes in the world, so it’s easy to understand that those still trying to make it are questioned before they prove themselves. Many superstars were doubted because of their size, especially in the earlier eras, when teams were under the impression that it was impossible to dominate without a big man.
Most NBA fans think Michael Jordan is the GOAT, so it’s hard to fathom that he would have been doubted, but even MJ had his critics before he shut them all up. And one of those doubters was none other than the General Manager that drafted him. Rod Thorn was the man who selected Jordan with the 3rd overall pick in the 1984 draft, but he wasn’t convinced that he would be the player to turn the franchise around (via SportsMockery):
“We wish he were seven feet, but he isn’t. There just wasn’t a center available. What can you do… Look, when Isiah Thomas went to Detroit, he improved them but it took two years to make the playoffs. We’ve taken a step in the right direction. Jordan isn’t going to turn this franchise around. I wouldn’t ask him to. I wouldn’t put that kind of pressure on him. He’s a good offensive player but not an overpowering offensive player.”
This was a time in the NBA when the likes of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had proven themselves to be among the greatest till then. So the thought process was that it was impossible to win without a dominant center. It also helps explain why Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie were chosen ahead of MJ.
Jordan would go on to transform the Chicago Bulls, breaking numerous records and helping the team to two three-peats. He didn’t just turn the franchise around; he changed the entire NBA with his play as well as his fame off the court. It’s safe to say that few people in the history of the world have been as wrong as Thorn was about the man who would go on to become the GOAT.
