When it comes to naming the best players to have ever played the game of basketball, one cannot forget to mention the Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. MJ has won multiple championships, made the All-Star teams multiple times, and won gold medals at the Olympics, bringing international glory to his own country.
The head coach of the Golden State Warriors, Steve Kerr was teammates with MJ and has shared his experience of playing with him multiple times but this time Kerr shares an experience that left him almost “petrified” in front of MJ.
Steve Kerr reflected on being scared by Jordan
Steve Kerr and Michael Jordan played alongside each other in arguably the most dominant team in NBA history. They won three NBA titles together and developed a friendship that lasts to this day. Kerr was a calm and composed technician who provided reliable shots from the perimeter, while Jordan was a competitive monster and a force to be reckoned with.
During an interview, Kerr recalled the first time he met Michael revealing how MJ called out his bench and scored. Kerr said, “I will never ever forget one of my first exhibition matches. We played the Bulls, and I was just trying to make the roster. Michael Jordan gets the ball right in front of our bench and I am already scared to death.”
He further added, “I hope to not get into this game, I am not ready for this stuff. Michael Jordan then held the ball out and looked right at me and said ‘Watch this’ and turned and went right past Dan Majerle and Dunks it. He looked at our bench and laughed and I was thinking there is no way in h** I will make the NBA and I really don’t want to.”
Kerr’s infamous fight with Michael Jordan
“The Last Dance” was a brilliant documentary about the infamous 6th championship run of the Chicago Bulls, which also brilliantly showcased the life of the global basketball icon Michael Jordan. In episode 7 of the docu-series, Jordan and Kerr recall an incident where the two players got into a fight.
The legendary coach Phil Jackson often tried various tactics to polish the talents of their ace MJ and also to keep his extreme competitiveness and aggression in check. One time, he divided the Bulls squad into two teams and made them face each other, and on this occasion, Steve Kerr and MJ got involved in a fight.
Michael recalled the incident in the documentary saying, “So one day at practice, Phil (Jackson) put Steve Kerr guarding me. Phil sent to my aggression but he was trying to tone me down and started calling these tick attack valves. Now I am getting mad because for you to be protecting this guy that’s not gonna help us when we play New York… I hit him right in the eye and then Phil just throws me out of practice.”
Steve Kerr also recalled the incident and said, ” I have a lot of patience as a human being but I tend to snap at some point.” The fight happened because Micahel was trash-talking while practicing and Kerr’s side was losing, Kerr snapped and fouled Jordan which made him angry and he hit Steve right in the eye. However, the two of them made up quickly and are still great friends to this day.
What did you think of the incident Steve Kerr recalled about meeting MJ for the first time? We are eager to know your thought, so drop them in the comments to let us know.
