Michael Jordan may have had a few worthy adversaries that caused him trouble during the initial years of his career. However, once he entered his prime in the early 90s, Jordan would be at the helm of one of the most glorious NBA dynasties of all time. From that period on, until he won his 6th championship in 1998, MJ did not struggle against too many teams, especially in playoff situations.
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One player in particular, however, appears to have annoyed him enough for the six-time Champion to brand him as irritating. That player is none other than Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller, according to this 2020 Rick Telander testimony on ESPN.
“I don’t really dislike anybody in the league, but playing Reggie Miller drives me nuts. It’s like chicken-fighting with a woman. His game is all this flopping-type thing. He weighs only 185 pounds, so you have to be careful, don’t touch him, or it’s a foul,” Jordan had said.
Standing at 6 feet 7”, but with an incredibly wiry frame, MJ compared going against Miller to ‘chicken-fighting’ a woman. The hilarious analogy might come across as insulting, but Jordan went on to prove that it was actually a compliment.
“On offense I use all my 215 pounds and just move him out. But he has his hands on you all the time, like a woman holding your waist. I just want to beat his hands off because it’s illegal. It irritates me,” he added, claiming that Miller had a habit of having his arms all over the attackers’ waist.
This, Jordan claimed was illegal, but the 5-time All-Star Miller not only got away with it but also made a nuisance out of himself. Jordan brought up the story while referencing a missed shot late in Game 6 of the 1998 Conference Finals against the Pacers, which the Bulls ended up losing 92-89.
However, Miller and the Pacers’ rivalry with the Jordan-led Bulls will be remembered by NBA fans forever. The Pacers star’s iconic game-winner after shoving aside MJ in the 1998 Conference Finals is still one of the most iconic NBA highlights ever.
Reggie Miller claimed Michael Jordan was the only opponent he never trash-talked
MJ surely does not have the best of memories when it comes to Miller. The same can be said about Miller, albeit in a slightly different fashion. A regular trash-talker, Miller has revealed that he never talked trash to MJ during games.
“He might have been the one player I didn’t talk to. Coz he might be the one player who could really embarrass you. He could come right back at you. He is cut from the same mold as Magic Johnson, and when I say that, and Larry Bird. Win by any means necessary,” Miller revealed.
Therefore, he thought it was better to not talk to Jordan as he was a player who could easily embarrass him. The Pacers legend talked about Jordan’s famous winning mentality, claiming that he could only remember Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who like MJ, wanted to win ‘by’ any means necessary.
That, however, did not translate to a desire to play alongside MJ, perhaps owing to the kind of rivalry they shared. “And if Michael Jordan ever would have called me and tried to sway me to come to Chicago, I would have told him to go f–k himself! ‘I’ll be coming to see you on I-65 or whatever that highway is there. I’ll be down to see you,’” Miller claimed of his playing days back in 2021, according to Bleacher Report.
