Mike Bibby was one of the very first NBA players to become a member of the Jordan Brand when it was launched, and he remains a part of it to this day. On the latest episode of his Straight Game Podcast, Bibby shared a hilarious story of Michael Jordan roasting players part of the brand during a dinner in Portland.
“All of us are there,” Bibby said. “Everybody’s there, Ray Allen, Carmelo [Anthony], everybody. So, he’s going down the line [and] he just tearing everybody’s a** up… Chris Paul [said], ‘I’m good at defense, I got this many steals.’ [Jordan said], ‘Doesn’t mean you play defense good. That means you’re good at anticipating. You’re not a good defensive player.’
“So I mean, he went down on everything,” Bibby continued. “He got to me, I was like [hand in face]. He’s like, ‘Mike, I ain’t gonna say nothing about you. You stay quiet. I’m going to leave you alone. I said, ‘Thank you.’ And he just went to the next person. I said, ‘Please don’t eat me up. I’m over here trying to survive, man. Please leave me alone.’
“So, we got some good stories,” Bibby added. “I mean, the Jordan people, they take care of their athletes.”
That’s just classic Jordan, humbling those around him. Chris Paul probably should have just stayed quiet like Bibby, and he might not have gotten roasted like that. To be fair to Paul, though, he was a good defender, making nine All-Defensive teams in his career.
Bibby began his journey with the Jordan Brand back in 1998, long before Paul started to make a name for himself. Jordan wasn’t just handing out deals to everybody either, as Rip Hamilton found out when he asked to be part of the brand. When Bibby signed with them, the only other NBA players who were with the brand were Ray Allen, Vin Baker, Michael Finley, Eddie Jones, and Derek Anderson.
“It’s been 27 years and they still take care of me,” Bibby stated. “They still lacing me every month or so. It’s a great thing to have.”
Bibby hopes to stay a Jordan athlete for life, and he should, provided he doesn’t make the mistake that Kendrick Perkins made. Perkins revealed Jordan stopped sending him free sneakers after he called LeBron James the GOAT. Don’t say that and you’ll be just fine.
While Bibby has been with the Jordan Brand for almost three decades, he still isn’t too close to Jordan himself. During an interview with Complex in 2024, he was asked about their relationship.
“When we see him, we’re talking,” Bibby said. “I get in certain spots, I don’t like to bother people. But when we cross paths, he’d grab you and throw you around a little bit. But I mean, it’s just good to see him. I seen him here and there, but I don’t at events and stuff like that. But he didn’t come on this past Jordan trip.”
Bibby also shared that he hadn’t gotten an invite to any of Jordan’s birthday parties and was hoping he’d get one after the interview came out. It’s unclear if he was invited when the Chicago Bulls icon celebrated his 63rd birthday on Feb. 17 earlier this year.
