Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time. But even the GOAT found a few players who gave him trouble when playing 1-on-1.
Jordan once revealed he only had trouble against smaller guards. In a video posted by Instagram account "jumpmanhistory," Jordan revealed the names of the three hardest opponents he played against during his NBA career.
"The hardest opponent for me to play against? In terms of 1-on-1? Small guys," Jordan said. "[Allen] Iverson, Damon Stoudamire, Rod Strickland. Those little guards like that, it's tough for me. Muggsy [Bogues]. [John] Starks? No problem with Starks."
While Michael Jordan admitted that these were the hardest opponents in terms of playing 1-on-1 in the NBA, they couldn't stop him from becoming an all-time great.
Jordan won six NBA Championships, six NBA Finals MVPs, five regular season MVPs, and one NBA Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, he was an 11x All-NBA, 9x All-Defensive, 14x NBA All-Star, 10x NBA Scoring Champion, and 3x NBA Steals Champion.
Michael Jordan had many foes throughout his phenomenal 15-year-long career in the NBA. Allen Iverson was one of the few opponents who got the better of Michael Jordan in a 1-on-1 situation.
Yes, we're talking about Iverson's famous crossover against Jordan in 1997. Jordan still hasn't forgiven Iverson for that move.
Speaking of Iverson, Jordan once answered who would win in a 1-on-1 game between them. 'His Airness' gave a detailed answer about the same.
"He could beat me on the perimeter, but I could take him in the post," Jordan said. "He's a heck of a good player. He's a young talent. He is gonna continue to get better once he learns how to play the game on a much higher scale.
"Right now, he's doing a lot on physical ability. He's good, he's quick. That's a challenge for me to go out to him and his stature. He's so quick and small. But it's a challenge. I won't back away."
Fans will never forget Iverson's famous crossover against Jordan. The move essentially catapulted AI to stardom. After all, crossing over the greatest basketball player of all time is not a small deal.
