When Michael Jordan was called "one of the dirtiest players who ever played" by Chris Childs
Michael Jordan and Chris Childs, who spent four seasons with the New York Knicks, had quite the unique rivalry with MJ. While Jordan's fierce competitiveness led to him making numerous enemies during his career, Jordan and Childs had a mutual level of respect.
The first time Childs was subbed into a game to guard MJ, the Chicago Bulls star turned to Childs' coach, Paul Silas and asked:
"Who is this b***h?"
Silas responded, saying:
"At the end of the game, you're gonna know who he is!"
The situation let Childs know that he had finally arrived on the big stage, and what better task then guarding Michael Jordan?
During their back and forth battles, Childs and Jordan formed a friendship off the court that would see the two indulge in cigars together post-game.
After retirement, Childs and Jordan would play golf together in Florida, where the former Knick reportedly got the better of MJ. During an interview with BallySports back in 2021, Childs spoke about Jordan, saying:
"What people don’t understand is Michael was one the DIRTIEST players who EVER played the game, you know? He would cheap-shot you and then look at the ref for help. One thing that I stood on from the beginning is that I’m a man like you’re a man and I want to be treated accordingly. If you don’t treat me accordingly, then I’ll take that respect."
Below you can see footage of Childs talking about another incident with Michael Jordan where the two nearly came to blows.
Chris Childs didn't just fight with Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan wasn't the only NBA great Chris Childs got into a fight with. Back in 2000, Childs and Bryant were competing in a game when the two began trash-talking one another. As Childs forced Bryant out of the paint on a cut-attempt, an extra shove seemed to spark an altercation.
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With Shaquille O'Neal's back turned, things began to escalate between the two men as Childs got in Bryant's face. After the young Lakers star seemed to shove Childs' face with his elbow, the young Knicks guard punched Bryant in the face. The incident resulted in him being ejected, however it didn't spark a long rivalry with Bryant.
“We never sat down and talked about it.
“We were competitors. We weren’t friends; we didn’t go to dinner, but we had mutual respect for each other as far as how we played the game and how we prepared, and I have nothing but respect for that man for what he’s done on the court and off the court."
With that being said, Childs wants to carry on Bryant's legacy by giving back to the community and giving back to basketball as a whole like Bryant was. The way he sees things, if he can give back to the sport, then he's fulfilled Kobe's legacy.
Below you can see footage of Childs discussing the fight between the two.
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