Michael Jordan’s legendary competitiveness is captured perfectly in this story from Kevin Garnett and Isaiah Rider.
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KG: JR is having a good game.
Rider: So I’m quiet, I always stayed quiet when I’m playing, I didn’t talk too much.
Rider: We come out in the fourth quarter and KG is like "Man, keeping going at his ass, serve him, he can’t guard you."
KG: "Keep killing him, keep killing him, straight up, you’re having a good game."
Rider: I was quiet, I’m looking at him like, just chill, because Mike was literally right there.
KG: He’s right here. Mike can hear me. So I double down.
Rider: (impersonating KG) "I don’t care. Keep going at him."
KG: As I say that, I feel it.
Rider: So Mike looks at me, looks at KG.
KG: Hands on hips, legs locked. And then he stares at me for about 15 seconds
Rider: I was like, "Mike, he don’t know the rules of the game, he’s just a young pup."
KG: I see him and Mike have a conversation. "He don’t really know, he’s excited."
Rider: Mike looked at him like OK. Looked at me like OK. I said, "What you lookin’ at me like that for?"
KG: I can’t even describe the next six, seven minutes of play, yo.
Rider: We went to the fourth quarter, that man got about 17 quick.
KG: We’re down 25 now, it was just at two.
Rider: He’s mad, looking at KG, looking at me, looking KG.
KG: It got bad quick.
KG: I’m like, "JR, my bad, dog. Sorry, man. I’m sorry." He said, "It’s good man, I told you shut your ass up"
KG: Mike came over like "Damn, young fella, damn, y’all done?" Never talked shit to Mike ever again in life.