However great you were, whichever position played, it was tough to play the Bulls in the mid-80s because of Michael Jeffrey Jordan
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Michael Jordan was a complete basketball player whose skills on both sides of a basketball were as good as it gets. The Bulls legend’s skills knew no boundaries.
He even gave himself the nickname “Black Jesus” for doing otherworldly things on the court day in and day out.
Despite being just a 6’6 shooting guard, Jordan successfully put fear in most of the opponents which were rarely possible for a guard at the time.
Also read: Michael Jordan Once Picked His Bulls Teammate Over Julius Erving Due To His Own Biases
But there was an NBA legend who never feared MJ neither when he marched past his RUN TMC teammates nor when he was playing against him in a Sacramento Kings jersey.
Mitch Richmond, unlike every other NBA player, did not fear Michael Jordan
Mitch Richmond and MJ had developed a great rivalry as soon as the former came into the league in 1988 as the 5th pick for the Golden State Warriors.
His Airness, 4-years into his NBA career was already a superstar in the league at the time. Him dribbling the basketball, with his tongue out was already a nightmare for every defender in the league.
But Richmond never feared Jordan like everyone else. In his appearance on Tyrell Owen’s podcast “Getcha Popcorn Ready,” he discussed the 10x scoring champ and 9x All-Defensive First Team members’ greatness.
He also acknowledged the fact about how Jordan did what he did and said it was his cat quickness that allowed him to do those things. Then he revealed how Football helped him not to be scared of one of the most fearsome opponents of all time.
Believe it or not, Mitch Richmond had the respect of MJ
Mitch came to a team that will have the backcourt of future Hall of Famers, Chris Mullin and Tim Hardaway in a year. For just the two years they would play together, RUN TMC would become one of the best trios of all time.
Watching them play basketball was joyful. And Richmond, despite sharing the floor with two other guards, established himself as one of the best offensive threats in the league.
Even Jordan praised his game, which was not usual for His Airness who never used to acknowledge his opponents’ or even his teammates’ greatness while he played the game.
“Mitch is certainly one of the best players in this game. I have always admired his game, and he is always going to be a challenge, no matter how you look at it, and I respect that.” Jordan once said about Mitch.
Also read: Michael Jordan Once Revealed He’d Pay $5 to Watch Scottie Pippen Play Out Of Any NBA Players
