Michael Jordan dominated the 1990s by leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA Championships. He did so in grand fashion as well. With Mike as the leader, the Bulls completed two three-peats, and as a result, it made the team go down as one of the greatest dynasties in the history of the NBA.
After winning his sixth NBA title, Mike once against announced his retirement from the league. While most fans thought that was it for him, he surprisingly returned for another short stint, but this time around, MJ played for the Washington Wizards.
Considering his age at the time, Jordan was still playing well, but he was no longer the dominant player that he was during his time with the Chicago Bulls. Obviously, it led to many NBA analysts criticizing ‘His Airness’ for his performances.
Stephen A. Smith happened to be one of them. If you have watched Smith talk about players, he never feels the need to sugarcoat, and at times, it leads to players getting into a beef with him.
Michael Jordan Didn’t Like Stephen A. Smith’s Talking Style
There have been many players that Smith has gotten into arguments with throughout his career. One of his most recent altercations was with Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant.
But back in 2002 or 2003, Stephen A. was called out by none other than the GOAT of basketball, Michael Jordan.
(Starts at 12:33):
“Michael Jordan came up to me in like 2002 or ’03 or whatever, and he was getting on me about something that I said. And he was like, ‘It’s the way you said it,’ and I was like this, ‘Can I have a job?’ I said, ‘You want me to sound like everybody else. This is how I talk. Now, if I’m faking it, I get you.’ I said, ‘Every time you see me, I sound the same.’ That’s how I talk. It happens to work for me. Why do we have a problem? I said, ‘Why not the substance of my word as opposed to the presentation?'”
It takes a lot of guts to stand up against Michael Jordan. Although, at the time, Mike was out of his prime, his aura was still the same.
Players were still scared of talking back to him due to what he had achieved in the league. From what we have learned about Mike’s nature over the years, there’s a chance that Stephen A. actually earned some respect from MJ for standing up to him instead of cowering away.
