Having Once ‘Feigned’ His Friendship With Charles Barkley Through $20,000 Gift, Michael Jordan Admitted To ‘Hating’ Talking To NBA Players

Michael Jordan is one of the greatest players in NBA history. With six championships to his name, some may even classify him as the GOAT. One of the reasons for his success was his high level of competitiveness. Jordan loved to win and very rarely associated with any of his fellow NBA superstars. He even feigned a friendship with Charles Barkley by giving him a $20,000 pair of earrings before their Finals matchup.

His Airness hated losing and as such always looked to dominate his opponents. And, as revealed by Ahmad Rashad, he refused to interact with any players, preferring to remain in isolation before most games. This just added to his competitive spirit, as he entered every game looking to crush his opponents.

Michael Jordan once admitted to Ahmad Rashad that he hated talking to other NBA players

Ahmad Rashad is one of the most well-known sports broadcasters in the world. Known for his time in the NBA, Rashad had a special bond with Michael Jordan and covered him extensively during his time in the NBA. More often than not, Rashad could be spotted hanging out with Jordan before games.

They were good friends and the NFL star turned sportscaster was even given exclusive access to almost all things Jordan. However, as he recalled in an interview, he did once do something that rubbed MJ the wrong way.

“When I was doing the NBA, I would be with Michael and I’d see some other player in the NBA and I’d go over and say hi. I’d say, ‘Hey man! How’re you doing? Right. Hey, Michael’s right over here. Michael!’ He said, “Man! Don’t ever do that anymore man, I don’t wanna talk to that dude!’ I said, ‘Wait! That’s one of your boys!’ and he’d go, ‘No! I ain’t talking to him!’ And, I kept thinking, ‘Okay! I see now…you’re trying to keep your distance always so that you always have the edge!'”

Safe to say Ahmad Rashad learned an important lesson that day. And, while Jordan was initially unhappy with his actions, he still has a strong friendship with Rashad to this day.

Ahmad Rashad and Jordan have been close friends for over 30 years

After retiring from life in the NFL, Ahmad Rashad moved to sports broadcasting with NBC. During his time there, Rashad was assigned to the NBA, a stark contrast from his area of expertise. But, while he was in unfamiliar territory, he made fast friends with many of the players.

Well, perhaps his best friend in the NBA is Michael Jordan. Rashad met His Airness during a show designed to broadcast NBC’s NBA coverage and their reporters to the public. And, since then the two have been incredibly close and speak to each other on a daily basis. They even bond over their love for golf.

He may not be friends with many NBA players, but that doesn’t mean Jordan has no friends at all. Ahmad Rashad has been a stalwart of a friend to MJ and the two continue to maintain a great bond.