“It’s like you have you a beautiful wife, and you take it for granted” - Kenny "The Jet" Smith says he never thought Michael Jordan would be the greatest
Kenny "The Jet" Smith and Michael Jordan played for the North Carolina Tar Heels. However, Smith never thought Jordan would become the greatest player ever.
Before Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls or Team USA, he became a college basketball star for the UNC Tar Heels. As a member of the Tar Heels, Jordan played alongside Kenny Smith for two seasons.
Since the two played and practiced together at North Carolina, Kenny Smith witnessed Jordan's game every day. While Smith knew that the future Hall of Famer would be great, he did not expect Jordan to become the greatest.
During a recent appearance on "All the Smoke," Smith spoke about what it was like being around Jordan and his greatness, stating:
"I knew he would be great. I never thought he'd be the greatest when I first saw him. Then when I saw him, even in practice, like, you don't like, I guess.
"It's like you have a beautiful wife and you take it for granted because she's there. Every day you see it, you see it every moment. You see every moment, you know, the beautiful person you're around."
While Smith admits to taking Jordan's greatness for granted, he was also able to witness him develop into the greatest. He said:
"You see their bad side, too. You see the days that they're in a mood. So for him I saw those moments, and I was like, hmm. But then when he left, and he came back, I saw the energy that he put into his game like he never stopped working, man.
"His stuff is not an accident. It's not like, oh, he was gifted. No."
Whether a person considers Jordan the greatest or not, his work ethic is the stuff of legend.
Kenny "The Jet" Smith on what made Michael Jordan the greatest
Kenny Smith believes that Michael Jordan became the greatest due to being fundamentally sound and the best athlete. Smith said:
"He was the most fundamentally sound player that ever played the game. If you watch the videos, his left hand is in the passing lane. His footwork is impeccable."
While other players have been more fundamentally sound or more athletic, Jordan put it all together.
There were bball players that were great "Athletes" before Michael Jordan. There were players who had great "Fundamentals" before Michael Jordan....but MJ was the first bball player that combined both of them and man was he a Menace to watch....
Jordan's ability to merge athleticism with fundamentals helped elevate his game to new heights. Kenny Smith witnessed the development firsthand due to their North Carolina connection.