Michael Jordan is one of the greatest players ever to have played the game of basketball. The Chicago Bulls superstar was an offensive wizard who had every shot in his book. Michael could make every shot on the court and he was also never afraid to take one because of his confidence. He was also a defensive pest who could lock the other team’s best player on any given day.
MJ went head to head with every dominant player of his era. From Magic Johnson to Charles Barkley to Clyde Drexler, Michael faced them all and generally would come on top. Because of his superior teams and being coached by Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson, Michael’s teams would most of the time easily win these matchups.
But according to former player, Olden Polynice, on the Chris Broussard show, Michael did not prefer to play against this particular player. The Golden State Warriors drafted Mitch Richmond as the fifth overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft.
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He won the Rookie of the Year that season. Richmond averaged more than twenty points a game for three consecutive seasons before being traded to the Sacramento Kings. He got into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2014.
During the show, Polynice talked about some players Michael Jordan didn’t want to face. He said “There’s people out there and there were players he did not wanna see. Yes! I mean, there’s a lot of guys that were afraid of Mike, but there were few some that he was afraid of too now.” He further said, “He did not wanna see Mitch Richmond. I’m telling you that right now… Michael was like, ‘Nah, I don’t wanna mess with that.’”
Michael Jordan and the Bulls of the 90s
Jordan’s career can be split into two clear halves. The first half of his career involved him having huge individual success. He won the Rookie of the Year for his draft class. In 1988, he became the first player ever to win the NBA league MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year in the same year. Even though Jordan racked up enormous numbers, he didn’t have team success.
All this would change during the end of the 80s. The Bulls would trade for Scottie Pippen on draft day and Phil Jackson signed on as the head coach. The Bulls would then dominate the 90s. Jordan and the Bulls won six NBA Championships in eight years. They achieved two separate three-peats. Michael won six NBA Finals MVPs for his efforts in the NBA Finals.
Who others do you think gave Michael Jordan a tough time on the court? Let us know in the comments.
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