I hated Michael Jordan growing up. That baldheaded jerk with his tongue out made me cringe when he stepped on the court. And like many fans of NBA teams other than Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, it was hard to argue why your team was better. From Barkley to Malone to Ewing to Reggie Miller, all these greats of the 90′s don’t have a championship ring thanks to number 23. It’s been over a decade since he’s worn that Bulls jersey (I won’t even consider his time with the Wizards admissible to his resume) but I still hate him.
Tonight, Jordan will be honored along with other greats (John Stockton, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan, C. Vivian Stringer) to become a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His stats don’t lie including five MVP’s, six championships and 14 All-Star selections, but I didn’t even need to mention them did I?
Today the numbers associated with “His Air-Ness” have more to deal with his sneakers, but his contribution to the game is unmatched. The way athletes in general are marketed is thanks to this guy. So for once, hesitantly I give MJ his props. And how cliche of me to say I don’t like him but I respect him. But by tomorrow, I will resume my undying hate for the guy as I resume my role as a depressed, wait for it – Knicks fan.
And for the record, if Jordan is on “The Dunk” poster, by definition, he’s considered “posterized.”
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My Knicks :(
I always wanted a t-shirt with ‘Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo’ emblazoned across it.
Also, Space Jam is a stone cold classic, thanks for that Looney Tunes and Mr Jordan, I truly believe that I could fly, and the Monstars Theme, grrrrrrrrrreeeeettinnnnnnnnng earthlingssssssssss!
Yeah man Jordan rocked it in Space Jam, what did Shaq give us, Blue Chips, STEEL and Shazam! (Urrrgggh).
But remember when they tried to sue Jordan because he pulled out of that film Heaven Is A Playground? Man that film was woeful, I can see why Jordan pulled out.
For many years, I was more of a Nique & Barkley fan. But then Jordan straight up asserted his dominance.
If you’re over 24, you have a Jordan story. How many other universal allusions are there like that?
MJ = GOAT
*waits patiently for the new-age, tween Kobe-LeBron bandwagoners*
*pistol in hand*
A’yo straight up, NOBODY (NBA players that is) besides Jordan has made a cultural impact here in the UK.
Mention Lebron to the average Tommmy Cobbles or Nora Batty on the street and they will go who like an owl.
But say Michael Jordan, and you’re cooking on gas.
Yeah man, the man, the myth, the skills and the brand Jordan, a perfect storm.
There was a pic of Ice T on TSS a month or so ago, from 1987 he was wearing a Jordan Shelltop. I never knew the Jordan brand was around in 1987, that’s longevity.
from one life long Bulls fan to a knicks fan – F*CK THE KNICKS.
:-D
I’d say something witty and clever, putting you down about being a Knicks fan…
… but I follow the Nets.
Bird>Jordan
Julius Erving > Bird & Jordan
Rugby > Knickerbockers
fucking ae
@patrick and paw….getthefuckouttaherewiththatbullshit.
michael jordan all day every day.
@gotty – mj was/is everyone’s #1 bball player. so much that, nowadays my boys don’t even argue who’s #1 anymore…it’s all about who’s #2..that’s a more exciting debate.
@ghostdini rich, number two..they say Wilt Chamberlain, but Kareem and Magic Johnson are definitely in contention.
Props sir for hating him before it was cool to do so. But as for me, and I hate doing things other people do but… GOAT!!!!!
One day the Knicks will get somewhere…
I said it time and time again I appreciated the fact I go to see him so many times but I hated him every time he destroyed Ewings hopes and dreams.
Jason H.
… and the ‘H’ is for HATERRRRRRRRRRR!
Air Jordan best to play the game “imo”
Michael Jordan > Jesus
@Deen
H don’t stand for “hater” but “honest.” Is he the greatest of all time? Yes. Do I have to like him? No.
It’s like telling a Red Sox fan to like Babe Ruth, although he’s considered arguably the best in baseball. I won’t get into the ‘Sox trading him to the Yanks but still.
My recognition of mentioning Jordan alone should be my sign of respect.
*cough*
Everybody knows Magic was the greatest basketball player ever.
H is for hermano lol
Senor Gotty haha.
Im a Wizards fan. Dude acted like he as 43 y.o. executive was doin us a favor by putting on our uniform, trading Rip Hamilton and “guiding” us to 9th spot in the East. Y’all can have him!
Most of them dudes had there shot to win a ring when he retired for the first time. I guess The Dream was just that good too.
As far as his skill set is concerned it will be surpassed, a lot of people now say Kobe’s skill set is better than MJ’s, no need to argue about it right now. But his dominance over the span of his career is unrivaled. He was a shark out of water playing on hardwood. One thing I don’t know much about him is his childhood, why is he so competitive and such a killer type shit, I want to know lol.
men lie, women lie, numbers dont.
I have a Jordan story… it also involves a drunk me pissing off Vivica Fox too.
It was the 96/97 Season, 1 year after the Bulls won 72 games.. a friend of mine’s dad got us tickets to the last game of the season, against the Knicks. Had the Bulls won that game, they would have had 70 wins, but it also meant that they played a tough Miami team in the first round of the playoffs. If the Knicks won, THEY played Miami. My friends and I were 20 year old hoodrats in the 3rd row behind the basket, surrounded by rich white people and celebrities. Oprah was 1 section over.. Spike Lee was a few rows to the left.. Tiger Woods was in the same row as me, but next section over.. and Vivica Fox 2 rows in front of me (more on that later).
Watching Jordan up close.. THAT close.. was amazing. You don’t realize how far it is to take off jumping from the free throw line til u see him up close. On another note, for those that remember that game.. The Bulls definitely lost that game on purpose to fuck over the Knicks.
As far as me offending Vivica.. I was drunk having a good time.. and I happened to say, quite loudly “how many horses u think the robbed to get THAT hair?”
Her friend looked over and saw me and my friends.. It seriously felt that the United Center stopped making noise, the Bulls and Knicks stopped playing.. just so Vivica and her friend could hear ME say that. I got the nastiest look from Vivica that night.
oops.
*dead* @ Yianni’s story
Dude, hate him all you want, and somehow I can understand, we all hate at some point, just like I hate the Spurs with all my heart, but he is still one of the greatest if not the greatest to ever play the game, and if you like the game as much as I do, you will probably recognize that the game will not be what it is today without MJ… He pushed the limit for the next generation to become only better trying to look like him, and that’s really positive. You don’t like the marketing scam, do I as do, just don’t buy the shoes…
Imagine that jordan in the hof, who thought he wouldn’t be selected. We in Vegas hope you don’t ever come back for anything. Unless everything is perfect no tip and extremely abusive. Nothing against jordan / nothing for jordan.
Crazy talk by a Jordan hater. It wasn’t his sneakers that made him the greatest player of all time. It was hit ability to be so clutch when it mattered. It was his determination to win at all costs. They byproduct of all that, was his marketability. He is one of the most recognizable faces in the world. He will always be the greatest, and may go down in history as one of the most marketable persons in history.
I’d say something witty and clever, putting you down about being a Knicks fan…
… but I follow the Nets.
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*dead*