Michael Jordan putting on 15 pounds of muscle in the 1990 offseason to combat the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons’ rough playstyle is the stuff of legends. After enduring their brutality, he decided to take matters into his own hands rather than expecting the referees to blow their whistles every time he attacked the rim. While he disregarded the need for foul calls in his prime, that wasn’t the case when he was young.
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During an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast, Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor reminisced about playing pickup games against Michael Jordan at the University of North Carolina. He alluded that the young guard was a foul-baiter and would clamor for calls.
Taylor recalled that after he was picked second overall in the 1981 NFL draft, he returned to his alma mater to finish his senior year. During the visit, he wanted to train with the Tar Heels basketball team and asked head coach Dean Smith if he could join his practice sessions.
He gave him the green light and the linebacker showed up to training and met Jordan, who was in his freshman season at North Carolina. During scrimmages, Taylor couldn’t slow down the guard, so he tried to disrupt his rhythm with his physical play style.
However, Jordan was in no mood to entertain his shenanigans. Revealing what transpired, Taylor said,
“My rookie year at the [New York] Giants, Mike came to school that year. So, I came to finish school that summer. So, he was playing with the team… Dean Smith allowed me to practice with them… Every time I turned around, he [Jordan] was just calling, ‘Foul, foul, foul, foul’. I just hit you a little bit, come on, man.”
Despite their disapproval of each other’s antics, the Giants icon claimed he enjoyed competing with Jordan. The offseason they spent together at UNC also marked the beginning of their lifelong friendship. It grew stronger due to their shared love for golf.
Over the years, they played against and alongside each other on various courses. This only deepened their bond. However, it also gave Taylor a firsthand look at Jordan’s unrelenting competitiveness. In a 2020 interview with the New York Post, he said,
“Of all the people I know, he’s probably the most competitive person I know. He’ll bet on a daggone 50-foot putt and goddammit, if he bets on it, nine times out of 10 he’s gonna make it.”
In 1981, neither athlete was aware of the impact they’d have on their respective sports. However, it was evident to them both that the player they were facing had the mentality and drive to reach the mountaintop. Perhaps that’s what helped them bond despite annoying each other on the court.
