Michael Jordan was incredible on both sides of the court – a relentless scorer on the offensive end and a pest defensively. While MJ was able to successfully prevent a plethora of players from going on scoring outbursts, there was one type of opponent he truly hated facing. Former Chicago Bulls teammate BJ Armstrong reveals the details.
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On a podcast, Armstrong disclosed that Jordan hated the task of chasing players around screens. Hence, players with the ability to catch and shoot became a dreadful task for him to defend.
“Michael had problems with a certain player – anyone who could catch and shoot and run around screen. He hated chasing screen. Because he was a ball watcher. You know, he gambled all the time… Rex and Dell Curry and Jeff Malone. Anybody who can do that because Michael, he’s trying to get in the passing lane,” BJ said.
It’s not that His Airness couldn’t shut these players down. With MJ exerting maximum effort on offense during most possessions, he often didn’t have enough energy left to chase players around screens. This is why players like Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, and Jeff Malone recorded more points against Jordan than their career averages.
Having spent five seasons as Jordan’s teammate, BJ Armstrong observed several of his traits such as this one. Over the years, Armstrong has often spoken about these qualities in numerous interviews.
Armstrong shed light on MJ’s competitiveness
Michael Jordan’s fierce competitiveness is his most iconic intangible trait. Known for “taking things personally,” he often made it his mission to humiliate specific opponents.
BJ Armstrong, in past interviews, has reflected on Jordan’s relentless nature, explaining how his success was driven by a unique approach – treating every situation as a competition.
“He’s a guy who competed on every possession. We toss that around a lot, say that a lot. But whether it was practice, whose bags were going to come out first at baggage claim, every free throw, every possession to him was about competition, which made him a very unique person in that way,” said Armstrong.
Because of this mindset, Jordan built an extraordinary resume that includes five MVP awards, six championships, six Finals MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year award, and 10 scoring titles, firmly placing him at the forefront of the GOAT debate.
