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“Michael Jordan was treating NBA stars like children”: When Brian McKnight recollected how brutal MJ was even during his one-year hiatus on the sets of “Space Jam”

Advait Jajodia
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“Michael Jordan was treating NBA stars like children”: When Brian McKnight recollected how brutal MJ was even during his one-year hiatus on the sets of “Space Jam”

Back in 2019, Brian McKnight recalled how Michael Jordan, during his hiatus, would dominate pick-up games against NBA stars on the sets of “Space Jam”.

Michael Jordan is arguably one of the greatest sporting legends in history. Apart from being among the most influential personalities, the basketball icon was far superior to his competition on the hardwood.

Being the leader of the Chicago Bulls, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard led the franchise to immeasurable heights and was even responsible for the organization to be the winningest dynasty of the 1990s.

To date, several fans around the globe consider Mike “the GOAT”. And having a look at his overly-stacked resume, it is pretty understandable why people do regard him as some sort of basketball god.

Over the span of his 15-year ill career, MJ had a preposterously long list of achievements – 14 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA selections, 9 All-Defensive selections, 10 scoring titles, 3 steal titles, the 1985 ROY, 5 MVPs, a DPOY, 6 championships, and 6 Finals MVPs.

Also Read: Michael Jordan’s $2.1 million/week splash on luxurious Yacht with Yvette Prietto shows fans his Billionaire lifestyle

“It’s the only time I’ve ever backed down from something as I watched how Michael Jordan treated everybody who didn’t make shots”: Brian McKnight

After winning the 1993 championship, Michael Jordan took a break from basketball for a little over a year. During this time, Michael decided to devote a majority of his time to the shooting of “Space Jam”.

It is no surprise that there was a court available at Mike’s disposable on the sets of the movie. And late in the night, several superstars of the league would visit him to play a game of pick-up basketball.

A few years ago, American singer-songwriter Brian McKnight disclosed just how brutal MJ still was against these NBA stars. McKnight revealed how Jordan would dominate on the court and call himself “the king” despite not having played for over a year. In a video with “Fair Game”, Brian further said:

“It’s the only time I’ve ever back down from something because I watched how he [Jordan] treated everybody who was on his team who didn’t make a shot,” McKnight told Fair Game in 2019. “[He treated them] Like they were his children [laughter]… Listen, it wasn’t like we’re talkin’ about a couple of college guys these were NBA stars that were in there.”

“He would make a shot and he said, ‘this isn’t television. I’m not gonna make it a little less colorful. This is real! This is the real thing right here. You think I’ve been gone? I’m still the king, I’m still the man!,” he recounted.

There are several anecdotes like this one that shows just how incredibly talented and great Michael Jordan was.

Also Read: Skip Bayless weighs in on the feud between the Bulls legend and Isiah Thomas

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, a seasoned NBA journalist, has had a passion for the game for over a decade. His journey from admiring Kobe Bryant's precision to being in awe of Stephen Curry's long-range mastery instilled a profound understanding of basketball. With a background as a two-time National-level player, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 21-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 3,700+ articles.

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