There is no doubt that Michael Jordan is one of the most competitive players the NBA has seen. We’ve learned that in his 10-part documentary ‘The Last Dance’, but there are incredible stories about Jordan that we’re yet to know and are as epic as the ones we’re watching in the film.
In the latest episodes ‘The Last Dance’, we got to know more details about the famous 1992 Dream Team that dominated the Summer Olympics that year. Of course, that team featured Jordan, but also other great names like Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
Ahmad Rashad, arguably the greatest NBA journalist of all time, accompanied the squad in Barcelona during that summer, and the anecdotes he racked up are pure gold.
We didn’t know many details from that team, but Rashad is here to save the day. In recent hours, Rashad told a story involving Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Jordan. At some point, all players were talking about the best team in the league, with Ewing and Barkley getting shut down due to their lack of rings.
The conversation went to the best player in the association, leaving only Bird, Magic and Jordan as the main characters. However, things escalated quickly for MJ, who finished the debate with a warning to Bird and Magic.
https://twitter.com/NBATVAhmad/status/1257704463541981186
“>May 5, 2020
Via CBS Sports:
So we are sitting in a room in a hotel in Barcelona: Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson. And there is a conversation going on about who had the best team. Now Larry Bird makes Patrick Ewing and Charles Barkley stop talking totally, because they never won a championship. So the conversation is between, Boston, the Lakers and Chicago.
Then the conversation moves forward onto who’s the best individual player. Now Michael and Magic got into it, they were talking back and forth to each other, and it was really funny. I was sitting up there with Larry Bird and we were just watching. Then finally, Michael gets very upset and says, ‘Listen, all I’m telling you — I’m telling you Larry, I’m telling you Magic — if you don’t quit, every time I see you next year I am busting your ass. When I come to your arena, I’m busting your ass. I’m warning you right now, you better quit.’
After time went by, Larry Bird just looks over at Magic and he says, ‘Magic, you and I were then, and Michael Jordan is now.’ And that’s how that went.
It was Jordan doing Jordan things. His Airness was a very competitive player and he carried that competitiveness to every aspect of his life. It was a great story to see Bird telling Ewing and Barkley to shut it because they had no rings, only to get shut by Jordan and his threats.
That summer was great for that team, who demolished everybody on their way to the Golden medal. After that, Jordan would go to win his first three-peat in the league, confirming he was the best player in the world after Magic and Bird passed the torch to him.
