When the name Michael Jordan is mentioned, we immediately think of words like dominance, victory, and incredible athlete. The legendary former player of the Chicago Bulls never backed down from anyone and always faced the toughest opponents head-on.
Despite Larry Bird and Magic Johnson being the dominant forces in the NBA when Jordan began his career, he never feared them. However, to the surprise of his basketball fans, Jordan once confessed to feeling a bit lost when facing a certain player.
I couldn’t do anything about him, Michael Jordan
Jordan has always been recognized as a truthful individual who never hesitates to express his true feelings. In his 1998 book titled “For the Love of the Game,” Jordan revealed that he was never in awe of Magic or Bird when he first entered the league. However, he admitted to being starstruck by Julius Erving, also known as Dr. J.
What did Jordan say?
“When I came into the league [NBA], I wasn’t nearly as enamored with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird as I was with Julius Erving,” Jordan wrote in the book via Phil Star Global. “As a kid, my first nickname was ‘Magic’, but the only player I really knew about was Dr. J.”
MJ continued, admitting that his intense respect for Dr. J prevented him from dominating his hero.
“I had a couple of good games against Philadelphia during my first season,” he added. “But I couldn’t do anything when I was matched up with Julius because I had so much admiration for him. I was just happy to be on the same floor.”
Jordan’s NBA legacy
Michael Jordan achieved all the top honors possible while playing for the Chicago Bulls. He secured 6 championships with the team, including two instances of winning three titles in a row. On top of that, he earned the title of Finals MVP 6 times, NBA MVP 5 times, was selected for the NBA All-Star game 14 times, made the NBA All-Defensive First Team 9 times, and was part of the All-NBA First Team 10 times.