“Play Michael Jordan at Center, He’ll Be the Best in the League”: Bobby Knight Advised Trail Blazers to Draft UNC Guard as 2nd Pick in 1984

Looking back at the 1984 Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers wouldn’t quite be happy with their selection. As predicted, the Rockets chose Hakeem Olajuwon with their #1 Pick, leaving an entire pool of future superstars – Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, John Stockton – available.

Unfortunately, the Blazers organization decided to pick neither of these prodigies. Instead, the Oregon-based franchise selected Kentucky Wildcats’ Sam Bowie.

Of course, the franchise had drafted Clyde Drexler just a year ago and wanted to pair the 6-foot-7 shooting guard up with a solid big man. However, things barely went as per their plan. Bowie played a total of 4 seasons at Portland and averaged merely 10.5 points and 8.1 rebounds.

Things would’ve been different, a lot different, had Stu Inman listened to Bobby Knight’s advice of drafting MJ.

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“Michael Jordan will be the best center in the league”: Bobby Knight

Bobby Knight was the USA Basketball coach who coached His Airness during the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Putting up 17.1 PPG, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard led his nation to win gold.

Prior to the draft later that year, Knight had a conversation with the Blazers GM – Inman – about them acquiring Mike.

When Stu revealed the team’s requirements of wanting a center, Knight advised his friend to pick MJ even though it would result in playing the UNC prodigy at the five spot.

“Play him [Jordan] at center, and he will be the best center in the league,” Knight told Inman.

Bobby Knight deemed a 21-year-old Jordan the “best basketball player” he ever saw

MJ managed to leave the entire world in awe of him with the performance he put up at the 1984 Olympic Games.

However, Bobby Knight saw something in the future Chicago Bulls star that no one else did. Even before the highflying guard set foot onto the NBA hardwood, Knight regarded MJ as the “best basketball player” he ever saw.

“If I’m gonna pick the best competitor that I’ve ever seen play, he’d be one of them.

So, in the categories of competitiveness, ability, skill and then athletic ability, he’s the best athlete, he’s one of the best competitors, he’s one of the most skilled players. And that to me makes him the best basketball player that I’ve ever seen play”

After 14 All-Star appearances, 10 scoring titles, 5 MVPs, 6 championships, and 6 Finals MVPs later, The Black Jesus retired from the league for the final time, going down as the greatest to ever do it.

Goes without saying, Bobby was somehow extremely spot-on with his decision.

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