Michael Jordan‘s trash-talking isn’t limited to his peers on the basketball court. As rapper Common found out, the six-time NBA champion would talk smack to anyone anytime. Earlier this year, the three-time Grammy award-winning artist revealed in an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers that Jordan had told him to ‘stick to rapping’ after the 2010 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.
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The rapper’s revelation sparked Carmelo Anthony and comedian Kid Mero’s curiosity and they asked him about the incident on the 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast. Common recalled,
“I played in the [2010 All-Star] Celebrity Game and I got off it that game. I saw him at this Brand Jordan party that night and he was like, ‘Man, stick to rapping and acting.’ He crushed me, man. [I said,] ‘I thought you about to give me some love.'”
The rapper laughed it off and said he enjoyed Jordan’s hazing before asking Anthony about his experience of being on the receiving end of trash-talking during his playing days. The retired NBA superstar named Kevin Garnett and Gary Payton as the best trash-talkers he’s ever faced and added that the art of talking smack has almost disappeared from the NBA. Common expressed his disappointment about it, saying,
“That’s the stuff we (fans) love, man. I mean, it ain’t always got to be a war but I like when n****s like, ‘Yo I got your a*s,’ just talking s**t. It’d fire me up on the court.”
Trash-talking not being as prevalent as it was back in the day is disappointing, but that makes the rare instances where we see it that much special.
Michael Jordan’s philosophy on talking trash
Michael Jordan enjoyed it when his opponents talked smack to him. However, he did not like frontrunners. After Charlotte Hornets guard BJ Armstrong yelled obscenities at the Bulls bench following a game-winner in the 1998 playoffs, Jordan did not appreciate it and gave insight into his trash-talking philosophy to the ESPN crew filming him for what would become part of ‘The Last Dance’ documentary.
Asked if he was upset about the result and the trash-talking, Jordan, wielding a baseball bat with a cigar in his mouth while R&B singer Joe’s hit track ‘All That I Am’ played on the loudspeaker, said,
“Let’s see if all that trash-talking starts when it’s 0-0 instead of a 5, 6-point lead. That’s when it starts. That’s a sign of a good man if he can talk shit when it’s even score, or talk shit when you behind. When you’re ahead, it’s easy to talk.”
Jordan averaged 30.3 points in the next three games as the Bulls beat the Hornets 4-1 en route to their sixth and final NBA title. Armstrong talking smack to the GOAT and his teammates proved to be a fatal error for his team.
