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:
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.
