'Block this b**ch': 4x NBA champ recalls Michael Jordan incident that forced him to concede GOAT status to his mother
Over the years, numerous people have tried to overlook Michael Jordan as the greatest NBA player. During an interview released Tuesday, one former champion opened up on the moment he knew MJ was the GOAT.
While speaking with longtime LA Lakers guard Byron Scott, John Salley reflected on an encounter with Jordan that changed his outlook on the superstar guard. After watching "His Airness" fly by him for a thunderous dunk, he called his mom and properly crowned the Bulls icon as the best ever.
"I turn around and drop step about to jump," Salley said. "As I'm about to jump, [Jordan's] midsection is moving past my face. He was like 'block this b****.'
"I call my mother, I said ma I just saw the greatest player of all time...It took me this long to admit it, but I just saw him."
Salley's career mirrored a lot of Michael Jordan's, playing from 1986 to 2000. The former No. 11 pick played for five NBA teams, including the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.
After helping the Pistons win back-to-back titles, Salley ended up becoming teammates with Jordan. He won the third championship of his career in Chicago with the iconic 1996 team. Salley's fourth and final ring would come in the last year of his career, playing a small role for the LA Lakers at the age of 35.
John Salley has consistently put Michael Jordan ahead of LeBron James in the GOAT debate
John Salley continues to defend Michael Jordan as the NBA's GOAT. During an interview with VLAD TV in 2019, the longtime Pistons forward compared MJ to the likes of Jesus and Babe Ruth.
"Jordan was designed the same way Jesus has been designed," Salley said. "People sit around and talk about Jesus Christ from 2,019 years ago."
"They still talk about Babe Ruth. They still will show and have things of Babe Ruth. That's what Michael Jordan is going to be in 50 years. He's going to be the Babe Ruth of basketball."
It's been over two decades since Michael Jordan retired, and he is still talked about on a regular basis. The six-time champion continues to stand the test of time despite all the all-time greats that have come along.