Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time and he commanded a great deal of respect from his peers.
Even toward the end of his storied career, MJ still had that aura around him and Jermaine O’Neal described what it was like when Jordan was coming into the locker room before the 2003 All-Star Game.
“I remember the next year, MJ was coming,” O’Neal said on The Knuckleheads Podcast. “And I was like, ‘Yo, you can hear him coming.’ You hear it like, the cameras and the noise, you hear him coming down the hall. And it’s so funny because all of us in there sitting, we feel like we big dogs too. When MJ walk in there, it’s quiet.”
“Mike make all the big dogs be like straight up,” Quentin Richardson added.
(starts at 59:39 mark):
There was no shortage of big names in that All-Star game, with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, and Kevin Garnett all being there. Jordan still commanded so much respect that the locker room just went quiet when he walked in.
Jordan wasn’t supposed to start the 2003 All-Star Game, but as it was his last season, Vince Carter gave him his starting spot, although MJ wasn’t too keen on it. He would finish the game with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals but ended up on the losing side, as the West won 155-145 in double overtime.
Michael Jordan Still Has That Aura Around Him
We have heard today’s stars speak about meeting Jordan for the first time and they all spoke about it being a surreal experience. LeBron James had to pinch himself the first time they met and said MJ was black Jesus for him.
Luka Doncic admitted he was too nervous when he met Jordan for the first time and didn’t know what to say. DeMar DeRozan, meanwhile, said Jordan is just one of two players, along with Kobe, who have that special aura around them.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
