“Michael walked in, everyone got quiet like the President walked in the room” - Robert Parish on the aura around Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is one of the best basketball players to ever play in the NBA and may be the greatest ever to step on a basketball court. Robert Parish, who played alongside Jordan from 1996 to 1997, talked about Jordan's aura around his teammates.
Parish is in the Hall-of-Fame and played 21 seasons in the NBA, with his notable time coming with the Boston Celtics, winning three NBA Finals with the team. In his final season, he joined the Chicago Bulls to help Jordan win his fifth NBA title and the second one of his second three-peat.
On the “Icons Club” podcast presented by The Ringer, Parish said at the 41:25 mark:
“When he walked in the room, it was like a hush over the room. You know the chatter, different conversations going on, but when Michael walked in, everybody got quiet like the President walked in the room or something."
"There was like a hush. I knew right then that we was in the presence of someone really, really special because the only other person that I've been around who had that type of effect on a crowd was Larry.”
Michael Jordan played with an unrelenting focus to become the greatest player ever and the most marketable man on the planet.
And for the most part, it was a solo flight.
This is #IconsClub with Jackie MacMullan: open.spotify.com/episode/0sYfAa…
Larry Bird is one of the other NBA greats Parish would play alongside. Bird and Parish went to four NBA Finals, three of them in a row, losing in 1987 to fall two wins short of completing their three-peat. Parish had the privilege of playing alongside two of the best players in NBA history and seeing how they operated in person.
Steve Kerr talking about Michael Jordan’s aura
On the same podcast, Steve Kerr was also interviewed about Michael Jordan’s aura. The two would play for the Bulls for Jordan’s second three-peat, spending four seasons together from 1994 to 1998.
Kerr said in the podcast at the 40-minute mark:
“He lived such a different than the rest of us. He didn’t really invite you into that world. You know I never really went over to his house. During the seasons, he really couldn’t really go out much because of the attention he would draw, so he would kind of hand in his suit with his friends and security guys. So, we never really penetrated that world, his world.”
Jordan had become such a big star that he often stood on his pedestal over the rest of his team, possibly even the league. Even though that aura must have been so amazing to be around on the court, it must have been hard off the court. Kerr even said that it was a big reason why it was hard to be his teammate.
27 years ago today, Michael Jordan's "Double-Nickel" game at MSG.
This was MJ's 5th game back from retirement https://t.co/yKeGuT93YA
Being arguably the best player in NBA history, Michael Jordan carried an aura that only helped elevate him to new heights. However, it did come with some negatives, as Kerr said.