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In Episode 8 of “The Last Dance,” former Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller scoffs at the last two episodes of the Chicago Bulls-focused documentary by saying he believes “to this day” that his Pacers they were better than the 1997-98 Bulls.
“I am going to retire Michael Jordan,” Miller said at the end of the episode.
Miller was one of many who intentionally challenged Jordan during his prime (thanks to LaBradford Smith), with the results of these great rivals leading to the elimination of some sort of playoffs. Here’s a ranking of Jordan’s top six player rivalries.
Here’s a look at Jordan’s fiercest rivals.
Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons. Jordan did not shy away from his disdain for Thomas in the documentary, calling the Hall of Fame point guard an (expletive) for his Pistons who did not shake the Bulls’ hands during the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals. Thomas bested the Bulls of Jordan in championship races in 1989 and 1990, and Jordan called him the “second best point guard of all time” behind Magic Johnson. They were the stars of the biggest team rivalry in the sport at the time and the snub of Thomas Dream Team always takes Jordan’s name first among the players who preferred him from the Olympic roster.
Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers. Miller was as bold a talker as Jordan. Although his Pacers were never good enough to challenge the Jordan Bulls in the early 1990s, for the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, it was Miller’s time to be the top super villain. That was best encapsulated in a Game 4-winning triplet with a push on Jordan.
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GARBAGE TALKER: MJ crashed into Scott Burrell. Here’s why Burrell enjoyed it.
BELIEVE IT: Reggie Miller believes the Pacers were better than the Bulls in ’98
John Starks, Patrick Ewing and Spike Lee, New York Knicks. The Bulls eliminated the Knicks in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1996, and never lost with Jordan leading the way in the playoffs. But this was a legitimate rivalry based on the talk started by filmmaker Lee, who always sat next to the court, a fiery Starks, who once doggedly plunged into Jordan, and Ewing, the Hall of Fame and face of those great Knicks teams that were cursed. playing in the wrong era.
Karl Malone and John Stockton, Utah Jazz. Denied a ring in two appearances in the NBA Finals, the Mailman (and Paper Boy) undoubtedly made the Jordan Bulls work to win their last two titles. Stockton did not want to be a part of being interviewed for the documentary, calling it a “Michael Jordan blow piece.” Malone was the MVP in 1997 and was the villain behind the “Flu Game” that defined Jordan’s legacy.
Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers. Close friends to this day, Jordan had respect for Johnson and Larry Bird for their championship game in the 1980s. But much of the rubbish and rivalry can be confirmed during the footage of the 1992 “Dream Team”, when it can Hear Jordan saying to Johnson “Now it’s the 90’s” to inform them that his era was over. The Jordan Bulls defeated a Lakers team at their best in the 1991 NBA Finals for their first title.
Clyde Drexler, Portland Trail Blazers. Jordan and Drexler were the two most talented and talented players in the NBA in 1992, and they met that year in the Finals. But that didn’t sit well with Jordan, who told Johnson the night before his famous “shrug” game that he planned to dismantle Drexler, which he did.
Charles Barkley, Phoenix Suns. Barkley and Jordan became friends after a late 1993 series that saw the Jordan Bulls dispatch the Barkley Suns. Their trashy conversation remained friendly until Jordan ended their relationship in 2012 as a result of Barkley’s critical comments about Jordan’s ability as an owner.
Sports video of the day
Although Larry Bird was a rival to Jordan, their confrontation in times never turned into a fierce rivalry. But that didn’t stop Bird from calling Jordan “God in Michael Jordan’s disguise” when he burned 63 points with the Cs in the 1986 playoffs.
This day in sports
- In 1970, Ernie Banks hit his 500th home run.
- In 1974, the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, winning the 12th franchise championship.
- In 2007 Danny Dichio finally scores Toronto FC’s first goal in the team’s fifth game.
- In 2013, Tiger Woods wins his second Player Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
Classic games to watch
MLB: 2001 World Series Game 4, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Yankees, ESPN, 8 p.m. ET. 1956 World Series Game 5, New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers (Don Larsen’s Perfect Game), MLB Network, 8 p.m. ET
NHL: 2017 Western Conference Final Game 1, Nashville Predators vs. USA Anaheim Ducks, NBC Sports Network, 5 p.m. ET
WWE Wrestlemania III, Fox Sports 1, 7 p.m. ET
NBA: 1994 Eastern Conference Final Game 7, Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks, NBA TV, 9 p.m. ET
Story time! These are some of our best
- DR. FAUCI: NFL season could be ‘doable’ for fall
- BOB NIGHTENGALE: MLB Owners to Vote on Historic Income Distribution Plan
- HOW MUCH RISK? To regain baseball, caution is necessary.
- WORKING FROM HOME: Meet the man who climbed the mountain. Everest on stairs
- HEARTBREAK: Jordan’s human side appeared in the missing father of “The Last Dance”
- CHRISTINE BRENNAN: The sports world has no choice but to take orders from someone else
- SUPER BOWL RINGS: Robert Kraft auctioning merchandise
Sports that we are missing
NBA and NHL playoffs
MLB
- Cleveland Indians @ Baltimore Orioles
- Miami Marlins @ Cincinnati Reds
- Los Angeles Dodgers @ Philadelphia Phillies
- St. Louis Cardinals @ Pittsburgh Pirates
- Minnesota Twins @ Detroit Tigers
- New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays
- Boston Red Sox @ Atlanta Braves
- Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago Cubs
- Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers
- Kansas City Royals @ Houston Astros
- San Francisco Giants @ Colorado Rockies
- New York Mets @ Arizona D’Backs
- Washington Nationals @ Los Angeles Angels
- Chicago White Sox @ San Diego Padres
- Oakland Athletics @ Seattle Mariners
Follow reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.
