Michael Jordan once deemed it 'unfair' to be ranked above Magic Johnson & other NBA legends: "It's an unfair justice to the art"

Former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan once had an iconic response to an interesting question regarding his on-court accomplishments. Jordan is one of the most decorated stars in NBA history and defined what it takes to win at the highest level. In his time, he was often compared to those who came before him, with most people referring to him as the greatest to ever play.

MJ's best years were during the 1990s when he led the Bulls to six title wins, which includes winning three titles in a row twice. During that time, he was also winning MVP awards and getting All-Star nods.

At one point, he was asked about his accomplishments. A reporter asked if the accolades he's gotten have put him ahead of some of the game's legends. The reporter compared the recognition he received to what Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain acquired.

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"No, I think that's something that I really can't say can be established," Jordan said. "Each one of us play in different eras, with different teams, with different levels of success, and to compare all of them, and say one's better than the next is an unfair justice to the art or to the artists.

"Being that Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain and all the guys before me were the artists of this game of basketball, and we've all learned from them and we've improved the picture to a certain extent and to say one improvement is better than all of it, it's an unfair assessment."

Jordan's awareness of when to be humble and when to give others credit sets him apart from other stars. This is one of the reasons why many people still look up to him and regard him as the GOAT of basketball.

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Michael Jordan's competitiveness is still at an all-time high

Michael Jordan has the reputation of being one of the most competitive players in league history. Others would think that his competitive nature would get diluted as he's been retired for more than two decades now, but that's not the case for the legend.

Recently retired stars Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade witnessed how Jordan is still competitive during the league's 75th anniversary. During the 2021-22 season, the league honored the top 75 players of all time, which included Melo and Wade.

According to the two of them, they were starstruck by the number of stars in one room. But everything changed when Jordan arrived.

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"Let me tell you something, when he walked through, everything changed," Wade said. "Man, when MJ came in, it get silence."

The Miami Heat legend shared that he got a chance to listen to and watch Jordan and Magic talk trash to each other. He also said MJ was challenging other legends to play.

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