When Michael Jordan shrewdly induced championship gene in his teammate: “Can't even stick his ass into people…Big, fat guy”
Michael Jordan's reputation for being an absolute menace to his teammates is well noted. Throughout the course of his recent documentary "The Last Dance," Jordan was both put on a pedestal and humanized as his flaws as a leader were discussed. From his confrontations with teammates in practice to his fierce competitiveness, fans got an inside look at Jordan from teammates over the years.
Given that "The Last Dance" was told through Jordan's lens, it's no surprise some things were left out. Namely, his brutal honesty with teammates, to the point that things would even come to blows on occasion. From his scuffle with Steve Kerr to his fight with Will Purdue, Jordan and his teammates had no shortage of conflicts.
One of the most notable rivalries Jordan had with one of his teammates was his feud with Stacey King. With King standing at 6-foot-11, Jordan couldn't comprehend how King hauled down just one rebound in three games. Boy, did he let King hear it during practice, laying into the big man with teammates present.
"Listen to this," Jordan said. "You ever hear of a guy, 6-11 maybe, and 260 pounds, a guy big and fat like that, and he can’t get but two rebounds, if that many, running all over the damn court? Big guy like that, and he gets one rebound. Can’t even stick his ass into people and get more than that."
He continued, coining the term "powerless forward" in the process:
"Big, fat guy. One rebound in three games. Power forward. Maybe they should call it powerless forward."
Eventually, King had enough and the 6-11 big man told teammates that he would kick Jordan's a** one day, vowing to make Jordan pay eventually.
"I’m gonna kick his ass one day," King said. "You wait. My time will come and I’ll get him. I’ll shut his mouth."
The quotes come from "The Jordan Rules," a book by Sam Smith that gave NBA fans an inside look at Jordan behind the scenes.
Michael Jordan and Stacey King: three championships together
Stacey King won three championships with the Chicago Bulls, beginning in the 1990-91 season and ending with the 1992-93 season. Although Jordan continued to try to light a fire under King during that time, he provided little assistance come playoff time.
During the 1990-91 season, King averaged 7.8 minutes per game, while averaging just 2.1 points per game and 2.0 rebounds per game. The following year in the playoffs, it was more of the same with 3.8 ppg and 1.4 rpg in 7.9 mpg.
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His biggest contribution came during the 1991-92 season, when he averaged 4.1 ppg and 2.1 rpg in 12.1 mpg. Given his lack of contribution to their championship runs, it's no wonder Jordan was so eager to light a fire under King, the former national college player of the year.
The three-time NBA champ now finds himself with broadcasting duties for the Chicago Bulls. Throughout the Chicago Bulls' early 2010s seasons with Derrick Rose, Stacey King's iconic broadcasting calls continued to win over Bulls fans.
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