“He Had Ill Intentions for Charles Barkley”: Michael Jordan’s ‘Disrespectful’ Highlights Gets Love from Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett has played against Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant in their primes. His insight in the “Greatest of All Time” debate is more valuable than most people’s. On Saturday, the Hall of Famer took to Instagram to reiterate that Jordan is the GOAT.

Garnett shared a Jordan highlight reel on his Instagram stories. The video was titled, “GOAT” and KG seemingly agreed with that assessment, writing in his caption, “Word tho [salute and heart emoji]”

The video had a voiceover narrating His Airness’ incredible ability to soar above everyone else on the basketball court. The video starts with Jordan viciously dunking on his former friend, Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley, causing the then-Philadelphia 76ers superstar to fall on the floor.

The commentary on the video captured the viciousness of the dunk, “He [MJ] had ill intentions for Charles Barkley. Really thought he hurt bro, I ain’t gonna lie.”

The rest of the video showcased Jordan’s incredible ability to leap for dunks without needing any kind of momentum. One incredible dunk followed another, displaying why Jordan got the nickname ‘Air Jordan’. The narrator of the video even hilariously said that it seemed like Jordan jumped into the air first and then decided what to do with the basketball. The Bulls legend really had the most impressive hangtime in the history of the NBA.

He was once asked by a reporter if he could fly. Jordan had responded, “For a little bit.” Despite being 6’6″, MJ effortlessly dunked on towering centers and forwards of his era. Even if the paint area was crowded, he would slither through a slew of bodies and find his way to the basket.

His determination to score a basket at any cost and his aerial prowess allowed MJ to circumvent the rigors of ‘The Jordan Rules’ implemented by the ‘Bad Boy Pistons’. However, the six-time NBA Champion would soon diversify his game to evolve with the needs of the NBA.

In the later years of his career, Jordan focused primarily on taking jump shots. His polished finishing saw him bank shots off the glass and use his devastating finger roll to score buckets. However, in the first five years of his career, Jordan was one of the best dunkers in the game. In hindsight, his dunking has become one of his most underrated attributes.

Jordan’s dunking was a direct outcome of his fascination with Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving in the early years of his career. However, MJ soon realized that he needed to mitigate his athleticism with a diverse skill set in order to sustain his success and longevity.

Kevin Garnett clowned the ‘six rings’ argument favoring Michael Jordan

When Michael Jordan retired for good in 2003, the common consensus was that he would never be surpassed as the greatest player in NBA history. However, LeBron James has arguably built a resume comparable to Jordan, even surpassing His Airness in many categories.

However, James trails Jordan in championship wins. His four NBA title wins are two shy of the Chicago Bulls icon. Jordan’s 6-0 record in the NBA Finals compared to James’ 4-6 and his two more rings have been used as a deterrent for the Lakers superstar’s case as the NBA’s GOAT. However, Garnett doesn’t buy that argument. During an appearance on Stephen A. Smith’s podcast, KG had said:

“We’re missing out on greatness. because we’re so hung up on those six championships. You think Mike Jordan was thinking about Bill Russell when he was chasing six? No. … We gotta embrace where we’re at. We got to start giving flowers out more.“

Garnett makes a valid point. The NBA Finals MVP and the NBA All-Defense teams were introduced during the 1968-69 season. Bill Russell, who holds the record for most NBA title wins with 11, did not get the chance to win those awards in his prime. If accolades were the yardstick, Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have a valid claim to the throne.

While Garnett may personally believe that Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time, he never diminishes other players’ accomplishments, including that of LeBron James, who was once his rival on the court. KG’s viewpoint urges us to include more nuance in the GOAT debate.