Almost two decades after his final retirement, Michael Jordan entered the spotlight again during the COVID-19 lockdown. The reason was his appearance in the highly-rated, but also controversial documentary, The Last Dance. MJ’s demeanor throughout the series was interesting, especially with some of the controversial comments he made. One of which included laughing off NBA legend Gary Payton. An act, that many criticized, but ESPN analyst, Stephen A. Smith staunchly defended on Get Up back in 2020.
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Stephen A has time and time again vouched for His Airness and has stated that he is undoubtedly the GOAT, picking him for the title ahead of LeBron James. And, considering his bias toward the Bulls legend, it isn’t so surprising that he would immediately jump to his defense whenever needed.
Stephen A. Smith once defended Michael Jordan for laughing at Gary Payton
In 2020, ESPN in collaboration with Netflix came out with The Last Dance. A documentary that focused on the success of the 1990s Chicago Bulls dynasty. And, as with anything associated with the Bulls of that era, Michael Jordan was heavily featured.
He was undoubtedly the star of the documentary. But, some of his comments rubbed many people the wrong way. More often than not, it had to do with his nonchalant behavior when discussing some of his teammates and opponents. And, one particular action that angered the masses was his reaction to Gary Payton.
In one episode, Payton, The Glove, claimed the 1996 NBA Finals could have had a different outcome if he guarded MJ a little harder. A statement that Jordan laughed off. Something that many considered to be disrespectful. However, one person who defended His Airness was Stephen A. Smith, who claimed that while GP did give Jordan a tough time in terms of his stats in the Finals, he did not, in fact, stop MJ.
“It wasn’t about Gary Payton…it’s about all the pundits, the commentators, and whoever else opened their mouth to believe that the Glove…as exceptional as he was as a defensive player could guard Michael Jordan one-on-one. He averaged 27 of 42 in that series, which were both lows for him in the NBA Finals. So, we have give Gary Payton the same level of respect to some degree we once gave Joe Dumars. Did you stop Michael Jordan? No!”
As Stephen A. stated, Payton managed to hold Jordan to 27 of 42 in terms of shooting. But, it wasn’t enough, as Jordan went on to win his fourth NBA Championship that year. So, in many ways Smith’s defense of the six-time NBA Champion was justified, especially considering the outcome.
Gary Payton once claimed John Stockton was a tougher opponent than MJ
Michael Jordan may have laughed at Gary Payton, but the Glove may have had the last laugh. In a statement that many would have been shocked to hear, Payton once admitted that John Stockon, the Utah Jazz legend was the toughest player he had to guard. Snubbing MJ, who as we all know was a nightmare for opposing defenses.
At the end of the day, both Gary Payton and Michael Jordan are Hall of Famers. And, while one certainly had a far more successful career than the other, there can be no denying their status as legends.
