Quentin Richardson signed with the Jordan Brand in 1998 and has since known Michael Jordan personally and professionally. However, 26 years later, the retired NBA star is still unsure what conversation he could possibly have with the Bulls icon.
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During an appearance on The Sternberg Scoop, the former Knicks forward revealed that he had Jordan’s phone number since 1998 but had never texted or called him. Richardson, who grew up in Chicago, idolizes the six-time NBA champion and is grateful that he believed in him enough to sign him to the Jordan Brand.
Over the years, the two have socialized plenty at events. However, the 44-year-old has never mustered up the courage to pick up the phone and have a conversation with Jordan. He said,
“Every time I see Mike, it’s like, ‘Holy sh*t’. I’ve had Mike’s number since 1998 and I’ve never texted or called him once in my…The f**k I’mma say to Michael Jordan? Like what am I calling or texting to ask you about, like, it don’t seem right. I’ve never done anything…any type of way…Never in my life, bro.”
Richardson claimed he respects the Bulls icon and has been in awe of him since childhood. He revealed that only one other former NBA superstar invoked the same sense of amazement in him. He said,
“I’ve been blessed and privileged to meet a lot of my heroes…the only person even in the same ballpark [as Michael Jordan] is Magic.”
While he worships him off the court, on it, he had no qualms about taking on the Hall of Famer.
Quentin Richardson did not fear Michael Jordan
During an appearance on the Knuckleheads podcast, Richardson revealed that relished facing Jordan and looked forward to making the guard’s life difficult on the court. He said,
“When we was on the court, I was like, ‘I gotta f**king do something against him [Michael Jordan], I gotta do something.’ Like you [Darius Miles] remember how I used to go with Mike. When we weren’t on his team, I used to try and kill Mike.”
Perhaps it was this fearlessness that prompted Jordan to make Richardson one of the faces of his brand in the late 1990s. His career did not pan out like the five-time MVP has seemingly envisioned. However, he seemingly earned the admiration of one of, if not the best player to ever play the sport.
