- Kenny Smith was a teammate of Michael Jordan’s at the University of North Carolina in 1992
- Kenny Smith said Michael Jordan couldn’t handle the ball in college
- Kenny Smith claimed he told Michael Jordan his ‘handle was whack’ and that’s why he could guard him
Michael Jordan is the GOAT as far as most NBA fans are concerned, and it’s not even close. But unlike his main competitor, LeBron James, Jordan had time to develop in his college years.
Michael Jordan was far from the finished product during his time with the Tar Heels in North Carolina. And Kenny Smith, who was his teammate at the time, revealed what Michael Jordan struggled with before he changed it all.
“But, he didn’t have a handle. He couldn’t handle the rock in college. Even at times when we play pickup, I’ll be like, ‘Yeah, I got Mike,'” Smith said on All The Smoke.
“He used to say, ‘Oh you think you can guard me?’ I used to say, ‘Yeah, because your handle is wack. I can guard you.’ So now, we doing that, he goes to the Olympics, comes back. Goes to the league, comes back for the summer.
“We all come back and he’s like, boom (imitates excellent ballhandling). I’m like, ‘Damn.’ He’s like, ‘My handle? Been working on it.’”
Michael Jordan cared about one thing more than anything else, and that was being the best basketball player he could be. His improvement from his freshman year in college to him dominating the NBA is a testament to his greatness.
Kenny Smith Once Broke Down Michael Jordan’s Competitive Nature In College
Michael Jordan’s career is a testament to the fact that he wanted to be better than anyone else at the game of basketball. Six championships, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, and all the other accolades don’t just happen otherwise.
Kenny Smith saw a bit of his nature during their time together in college. Kenny Smith once shared a story of how competitive Michael Jordan was in college.
“Every time we win and we go get water, I watch Mike, and he’s standing in the middle of center court. I walk up to him and, ‘What you doin?’ He’s like, ‘I want the mother*****rs to know that I’m never leaving the court. Imma be the first to stand here and the last.’
“He was the first dude that I met that could back up his trash, like every day. Every day! Always the talker and always backed it up, though.”
Even though he started slow, by his final year in college, Michael Jordan was averaging 19.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists a game. And he only improved after making it to the NBA, somehow getting even more competitive.
Charles Barkley Knew Michael Jordan Was The Best Even In College
Even though it took some time for his game to catch up, many NBA personalities knew Michael Jordan was going to be the man even in college.
Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan may not be on talking terms anymore, but Barkley once said Michael Jordan was the best he’d ever seen in college.
“I played against this one guy, I’ve never seen anybody that good. His name is Michael Jordan, and this is when he was back in college.
“I never expected him to do what he did when he got to the NBA, but with the first time I played against him for like a week, I knew he was the best I’ve ever seen.”
Michael Jordan turned himself from someone without a handle to the most dominant offensive force in the NBA during his prime. All stories about this man are enough to leave any basketball fan spellbound.
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