When it comes to legendary athletes, few are as imposing as Michael Jordan. The sports icon was an absolute force to be reckoned with, leading the Chicago Bulls to multiple NBA Finals wins and collecting plenty of individual accolades. In the process of doing that, Jordan also earned the respect of many of his various opponents. The Magic Johnson-led Lakers of the ‘80s and early ‘90s were among the squads he did battle against, and one of the Los Angeles-based team’s veterans recalled playing against the trash-talking Jordan.
Byron Scott played in the NBA from 1983 to 1997, with eleven of those seasons having been spent with the Los Angeles Lakers. So he had plenty of opportunities to play against Air Jordan during his prime. A three-time champion, Scott recently discussed his career during an episode of All The Smoke podcast (that was shared on YouTube). The chat eventually turned to MJ, who the player-turned-coach commended for his skills. Scott’s comments also suggest he did his best not to rile up the Bulls shooting guard before a given game:
The dude was a man playing against boys, damn near. I mean, he was one of those guys — I didn’t fear anybody, but when I played against [MJ], I said, ‘I ain’t pissing him off.’ … That’s the only guy I would look at [and] say, ‘I ain’t gonna piss him off.’ He hit a shot, it’d be, ‘Good shot. Good shot, MJ.’ I said, ‘I ain’t pissing him off,’ ‘cause I’ve seen him go 40, 50 like it ain’t nothing, because a guy’s being aggressive or trying to be overly physical with him. … Everybody else, I don’t give a shit, but him, Black Jesus, I ain’t messing with him like that.
At this point, the former NBA Coach of the Year is far from the first ex-player to talk up Michael Jordan’s abilities. Magic Johnson also sang Jordan’s praises, hailing him as the “strongest” athlete he’s ever seen due to the sheer amount of energy he had. Shaquille O’Neal also admitted to being “terrified” of Jordan when playing him early in his career. Also, former Bulls player Scottie Pippen has been feuding with MJ in recent years, but even he’s talked up his skills at times and said he’d still play with Jordan if given another chance.
What many would argue gave that Space Jam star his edge was his competitive nature. He didn’t back down from a challenge, and he didn’t mind speaking his mind when chatting with a fellow player. To that point, Byron Scott also shared a story during his interview. Scott recalled a time from his first stint with the Lakers, at which time he was injured and could play in the game (and serve as MJ’s matchup). When his Airness learned of Scott’s unavailability, he shared a chuckle-worthy take:
[Jordan] gets off the bus, and he said, ‘B, what’s up?’ I said, ‘What’s up, MJ.’ He said, ‘I heard you ain’t playing tonight.’ I said, ‘Nah.’ He said, ‘What’s wrong?’ I said, ‘My ankle.’ He said, ‘Damn, who gonna guard me?’ I said, ‘Anthony Peeler.’ He said, ‘That rookie? 50.’ … I said, ‘You gonna give him 50?’ He said, ‘I was gonna give you 50, but now if it’s him…’ He said, ‘I’ma give him 50 then.’
The former Nets coach tried to advise Anthony Peeler on how to best play Michael Jordan, yet that didn’t make much of a difference. As Byron Scott recalled, Jordan went on to score 54 points in that particular game. Not only that but, every time MJ scored, he apparently looked over at the smirking Byron Scott on the bench. Let it be known that Jordan was fearless, and his mentality was analyzed in ESPN’s The Last Dance (which is available to stream with a Netflix subscription).
Of course, there’s still an argument regarding whether the Jordan Brand founder stands above the NBA’s GOATs. He himself addressed that years ago when asked by a journalist. At that time, Jordan didn’t see himself as the GOAT, as he didn’t feel he could aptly compare himself to the likes of Magic Johnson or Larry Bird since they were in different stages of their careers when they played. Despite that, many still argue Jordan is “the one” and, when you hear comments like the ones from Byron Scott and more, it’s not hard to understand why.