Michael Jordan was one of the most dominant players on the NBA court, fearing nobody, but there was one person who used to stay in the back of his head.
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The Bulls legend has compiled an incredible list of stories from his playing days in the NBA, from elite level trash talking, to incredible tales of how wildly competitive he was, to of course, his general basketball dominance.
All these things combined have given Jordan his GOAT status. His accolades, championships, and struggles are all remembered side by side with the stories of how he reached there.
The Bulls legend has accomplished what NBA players dream of doing in his career. Six championships, six Finals MVP’s, five NBA MVP’s, an obvious Hall of Fame induction, and much more has cemented Jordan’s legacy as the greatest NBA player of all time.
So, why was his career so confusing? Well, he retired thrice in his career, to give you some context. If that sounds weird to you, that’s because it is. His first retirement was by far the most surprising as it came only nine years into his career, and he had just started to win at the highest level, coming off of his first threepeat.
On this day in 1997… despite feeling under the weather, Michael Jordan put together a heroic performance with 38 PTS in Game 5 of the #NBAFinals! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/UAr1Ig4icf
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) June 11, 2022
Lawrence Taylor used to put fear in the mind of Michael Jordan
On the court, Jordan used to bully his opponents. His trash taling game was always on point, and he would put fear in the hearts of whoever he was playing.
It was very rare that you’d find someone who’d intimidate Jordan. However, Jordan’s North Carolina teammate Buzz Peterson noted that there was one person who’d terrify Jordan.
“There is one guy that I always thought, and I know to this day — I don’t know if Michael won’t admit or not, but I swear that he had a little bit of fear of — and it wasn’t a basketball player. It was a football player by the name of Lawrence Taylor. LT, phenomenal athlete,” Peterson recalled to The Athletic in 2020.
Taylor is perhaps the greatest NFL defensive player of all time. He stood at a massive 6’3″, 237 pounds, destroying offensive linemen on the daily during his playing days. Sometimes, he’d even play basketball, and he’d take it right to Jordan, challenging him at times.
“[Taylor] Could guard east to west, as quick as anybody, could jump, big hands, strong and was a bit crazy,” Peterson explained. “So Michael, in the back of his mind said, ‘S**t, I better be careful with this guy.’ And LT always wanted to guard him.”
