There are a lot of Michael Jordan stories re-emerging or coming to light in wake of ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary.
And some certainly are worth retelling.
Like that of Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, who played alongside Jordan on the Chicago Bulls for three-plus seasons. Kerr was fed up as Jordan (who was away for two years) returned to the Bulls and wanted to see who of his teammates could be trusted.
So Jordan started pushing them, something Kerr didn’t take too kindly to.
“I started talking back,” Kerr said, via CBS Sports. “I’m not sure anyone had done that before. Then I started fouling him. Not like I could make any impact on him physically, but … I got the ball and he was guarding me and I think I used my off arm and threw an elbow or something, to get him off of me, and he kept talking. I’m yapping and the next play, I’m running through the lane and he gives me a forearm shiver in the middle of the lane and I give him one back.
“And he basically … came after me.”
Kerr said at the end of the day, however, that moment actually bonded the two players.
“I would say it definitely helped our relationship, and that probably sounds really weird,” he said. “I wouldn’t recommend that to anybody at home. I think that it has to be understood in the context of intense competition.”
It all worked out in the end since, as you know, the Bulls went on to win three straight championships.
