It’s hard to imagine Michael Jordan being afraid of or intimidated by any athlete. During his legendary career, Jordan was fearless and wanted to win at all costs. He didn’t care who he had to beat, Jordan would do anything and everything in his power to win.
MJ knew at all times that opposition players would be gunning for him and try to bring him down. But that didn’t deter him. If anything, he used that as fuel to beat them, and even try to humiliate them in the process. Jordan knew that he had the power to defeat whoever he faced, and didn’t worry about what they could do to him.
This is why fans were shocked to hear that any athlete could intimidate ‘His Airness’. But that is exactly what golf star Ian Poulter did. In 2014, Jordan and Poulter weighed in on their interaction, with MJ noting that Poulter wasn’t phased by MJ’s signature trash talking.
Jordan: “Ian is a tough character. When I poked at him a little bit, he kind of responded.”
Poulter: “It was motivating. Michael Jordan psyching me out on the golf course, and I’m not letting it happen.”
In an interview he did with Steph Curry (8:04 mark), Jordan spoke about why playing against Ian Poulter would worry him, and why he actively avoids him when he sees him on a golf course. Poulter uses Jordan’s presence to further motivate him, despite MJ refraining from saying anything negative to him.
“I’m not scared of anybody… but Ian Poulter. I used to go and watch him all the time. If I’m in any of his matches or walking down, he finds me after he makes a good putt, and it’s like, ‘Man, I didn’t do anything. I like you. I support you.’ I stay away from him when I’m walking. I won’t go watch him.”
Seeing Jordan speak about being intimated by Poulter was very surprising. Regardless of the occasion, Jordan always seemed to have nerves of steel. Chris Paul once challenged Jordan to make all his shots or give away Jordan’s shoes to the children at the camp. MJ calmly made all of his shots.
Jordan touched on a number of topics during his interview with Steph Curry, including his love for golf stemming from how the sport keeps him sane by letting him channel his competitive nature. He does have a lot of respect for the game, noting that golf is tougher than all other sports.
