Why You NEVER Poke Michael Jordan - A Trash Talk Story Told By NBA Legends

Duration: 9:48 1472 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

The video explores the legendary intensity of Michael Jordan, recounting stories from former NBA players who witnessed his competitive fire firsthand. The narrative centers on a specific incident during an exhibition game where Jordan's personal motivation became a source of both amusement and frustration for his teammates. After spending hours playing cards with the team, Jordan decided to target rookie Dan Marley, promising him a dunk contest worth 40 points if he could score against Jordan. This challenge was accepted by Marley and others, viewing it as a badge of honor to earn the attention of the greatest player in the world, unaware that Jordan's primary goal was simply to motivate himself by finding someone to beat. The atmosphere at the time was distinct, with players recalling the unique experience of playing in older arenas like Chicago Stadium, where they would walk up creaky stairs through smoke-filled rooms to face a gladiator-like stage. During the game, Jordan displayed his incredible athleticism and dominance, executing a reverse pivot to dunk on Marley for the 40 points while the rest of the team watched in disbelief. The sheer force of his performance left the rookies terrified, with one player noting that Jordan was so great defensively that if he didn't want you to score, you simply couldn't touch the ball. This display of power highlighted why players avoided provoking him, knowing that angering him would result in an even more punishing response. Following the game, the situation escalated as teammates felt responsible for Marley's loss and attempted to "kill" him during practice the next day out of guilt over not playing cards with Jordan all day. The story concludes with a humorous revelation that Jordan had been messing with everyone by claiming he would give Marley 40 points, turning a serious competitive moment into a joke among the group. Ultimately, these anecdotes illustrate Jordan's unique ability to elevate his game through personal challenges while maintaining a playful demeanor, proving that his legendary status was built on an unstoppable drive to win and entertain himself above all else.

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well I don't know if it never happened but I do know he does take everything personal and and everything that he does cards whatever I I was in a room with him for I don't know 5 hours one time day of a game we play cards he wouldn't let us leave welcome sports fans this is Sky spino these guys know me for who I am and and I try to make them understand me for who I am and I enjoy just being around and joking around and just being a part of them [Applause] wins again but we know why he win me Tom Chambers Ty Corbin and I can't remember if it it's an exhibition game it was the play I can't remember I'm old it was an exhibition game and he would not let us leave and I'll never forget one of my first exhibition games we played the Bulls [Music] I mean literally we had played the night before travel that day I was stiff as a boy he would not if Scotti pipping in the room horis Grant I mean we just playing this game called TK okay and we just going at it and now I stood up I couldn't hardly walk and we were stiff I called cotton said cotton I can't go he said that's okay I was going to hold you out uh Tom called him up cotton I'm sore I can't go that's okay I wasn't G to play and Ty Corbin wouldn't dare do it right I'm not doing it and we're playing cards and and people are knocking on Michael's door and he's in there as an alias anyway and we're playing cards and whatever like this it was the funniest thing ever cuz it was Pippen and Michael and neie and myself and I don't know a few other people I can't remember exactly who it was I think maybe Kerr was even there I can't remember um so Jordan stands up in the room and he says you tell that boy Dan Marley I got something for him tonight their GM Jerry Krauss that talked about how much he loved you and they knew that and Jordan knew that and Scotty knew that and the same way they did with kach in the Olympics like that you were the guy Jordan always picked a guy it's like that's going to motivate him you the guy did did you know at the time that this that he had targeted you he looked at Tom and I he said I'm gonna give your boy 40 in an exhibition yet yeah we like who Dan I like yeah okay whatever bet bet 100 bet 200 I took the BET Tom took the BET oh no I think it's a badge of honor I mean he's the greatest player in the world you got his attention is trying to kill me yeah that is a badge of honor though when you're the guy cuz he had to pick somebody every time to get him motivated me against the world and you were that guy and Jack Haley was in there and Jack Haley was trying to make the team and uh and Michael said okay I'm ordering some you know drinks or whatever like that we all ordered drinks whatever it was a beer whatever like that and Jack Jack ordered milk and Michael said what are you doing you're going to be getting cut tomorrow and you're drinking milk you need a freaking whiskey you need you need something so he literally ordered milk in front of all of us guys and it was the funniest thing ever and somebody got hurt the next day so they couldn't cut him so he actually went through the season with them that Old Chicago Stadium mhm it was you literally dressed in the basement and when you go up to the floor it was like you went up these old crickety stairs and like these doors open and it was like walking in like the old like you were a gladiator like you walking in and back then people were smoking There Was You Know smoke all in the building everybody was on top of you there was no better feeling in the world going up those stairs and in in those little Arenas like that and playing in in that kind of stage I mean that's kind of stuff you miss it was awesome the [Applause] N so he starts the game and he just going nuts [Music] [Applause] [Music] w [Music] [Applause] [Music] that was a you know late second round pick I didn't know if I was going to make the league I was on a non-g guaranteed contract and I was just trying to make the roster I'm try I'm over there still stiff I got heat packs under my clothes man I'm like stiff this man's out there going crazy [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and it doesn't make me feel anyway because he is the greatest player in the world were you ever a not afraid but nervous that you were going to be embarrassed by guarding somebody in the NBA no I I looked at I mean I love guarding Jordan uh you know as when I was with the sons that guy was so great not only offensively but defensively if he wanted to score on you he's going to score on you if he didn't want you to score score you weren't scoring wow it was a challenge and I loved it I think that was you know you knew you were going to get scored on and just tried not to get you know as you said embarrassed and that's why I never said anything to Jordan my whole philosophy of playing Jordan was to talk golf ask about how his drives and putts were and that's all I did I was like hey Mike how's the game what kind of ball you playing what clubs he's using I'm just trying to keep him mellow so maybe he'll give me 35 yeah cuz if I piss him off he's going to give me 55 right so I'm just talking golf so I didn't know that that was one of his motivations and now it kind of makes sense you him on the defensive side uh we kept on [Music] [Applause] Switching and Tom and I sitting there looking at him like this dude is just insane and I'm already scared to death like God I hope I don't get into this game I'm not ready for this so he had about 34 and he walks over to the bench he looks at Tom and I like get that money ready catches the ball Michael Jordan gets the ball he reverse pivots on him so Dan's got to back up backed up and he went right and he turns he went right around Dan Marley and he just tried to te r that tongue where he went down bam dunit looks back at our bench and just starts laughing and holding up 400 nobody knew what the four was right and I'm looking like there's no way in hell I can ever make money now I really don't want to I thought I thought and he went man he dunked for the 40 on everybody and look what ran past I want my money checked himself out the game and so we're looking so time out cotton called the [Music] timeout and Michael came over at the time out he say cot your boys you were playing cars with me all day told on us that's whych oh yes that's so that's why y'all not playing that's why they not playing and they bet me too I told them I was going to give your boy danam Marley 40 and we sitting over and cotton turns to Dan who's a rookie right and cotton looks at Dan and said Dan what did you do to Michael just messing with him and then I didn't do anything to him we fell out laughing he would just like I said the guy was unbelievable uh and he carried their he carried their team he was that good I'm telling he was the best whatever he did he was the best if he wanted to guard you and not let you score or touch the ball you weren't you weren't touching the ball the next day cotton tried to kill me and Tom virtually the whole team in practice because he felt that that's the reason we didn't play oh my goodness so Michael will tail oh my goodness wow all right [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]