Many NBA legends have opened up about their unique experience in which they were intimidated by Michael Jordan on the court. Apparently, former San Antonio Spurs forward Sean Elliot wasn’t one of them. In fact, Elliot often wondered what it was about Jordan that stirred such a mix of awe and fear in his competitors.
According to “Ninja,” he, too, had his fair share of duels with MJ during his playing years in the league. However, never once did he feel intimidated by Jordan’s presence. It didn’t matter for Elliott if “His Airness” torched him all game because he was after the opportunity to compete with the best.
“I told people that when I guarded Michael, for me, personally, it was a thrill. If he scores 40 on you, so what? You get that opportunity, take on that challenge, why would people be afraid of that moment? I don’t understand that. I would take it as a challenge, and I would relish every moment of it, even if he dunked on me,” Elliott said on ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ last year.
Sean believes he could beat MJ now
Like most 90s NBA stars, Elliott had to deal with Jordan for the better part of his NBA career. In their prime, Sean admittedly knew he had zero chance of outplaying Michael. However, the Spurs legend is confident that it’s not the case now that they are both retired and old.
When asked if he believes he could thump Jordan at present, “Ninja” confidently said yes. The way Elliot sees it, he has all the advantage over MJ as he knows he has been living a healthier lifestyle than the six-time NBA champ.
“Oh, no question [I can take Jordan now],” Elliot claimed. “He’s all out of shape, smoking cigars; I’m about to go lift right now, man; I’m about to go throw some kettlebells around.”
MJ taught Sean a lesson at UNC
Elliott may think that he at last, he could finally get the better of Jordan nowadays but he was well aware that there was no way it’s happening back then. Unsurprisingly, Sean also had his unforgettable MJ moment.
Elliot once recalled that he almost humiliated Jordan in front of a bunch of campers inside the University of North Carolina. He was able to beat “His Airness” with a sensational drive to the basket, but just before he finished the play with a nice layup, MJ came to block it hard.
“The kids were like, ‘Oooh!’ You could hear that… And I was going for a little layup, a casual layup… And he just came along my left side, he recovered, and he swatted the shot so hard like he sent a message. The message was, ‘Don’t mess with me in front of my campers.’ Like, he was serious,” Elliott remembered.
It’s kind of a surprise to know that there was a player like Elliot who never got intimidated by Jordan. However, that doesn’t take away anything from the fact that MJ’s mental game and unwavering confidence were all factors that contributed to his intimidating aura.
