NBA
Michael Jordan Once Chewed Out the Bobcats' Stars, Forced His Way Into Practice, and Dominated: ‘Take My Shoes Off'
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sports7 in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sports7, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterUpdated25 Dec 2022
During his time on the NBA hardwood, Michael Jordan produced plenty of evidence that he's an incredibly competitive character. From trash-talking his own teammates to taking things personally, MJ was never one to accept anything other than first place. That drive didn't slow down in retirement, either. Just ask Stephen Jackson about that.
During an appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Jackson flashed back to his time with the Charlotte Bobcats. After a loss, Jordan was so unhappy with the team's performance that he plugged himself into practice to prove a point.
Sound unbelievable? Let's head to Charlotte and check it out.
Michael Jordan visited the Bobcats' locker room after a loss, then took part in practice the next day
Despite what the Charlotte-based franchise may be called, the performances have been consistently disappointing during Michael Jordan's time at the helm. That's not to say, however, that the NBA legend hasn't tried to turn things around in his own unique way.
“So we got our a** beat by somebody, and he came in the locker room after the game just going off on us, like, ‘We need to get our s*** together, right” Stephen Jackson recounted on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast. “I made some little comment or something like that. He ain’t say nothing, so he came into practice the next day.”
Once back on the basketball court, Jordan's old trash-talking ways came back to the surface.
“Back on that s***,” Jackson continued. “‘Y'all think you did something?' ... He's talking about all his accolades. ‘Take my shoes off.' Because he had gave me, you know what I'm saying, he wasn't just talking to me, he was talking, because everyone had his shoes on. He had gave me a deal and all that. This s*** kind of directed to me and Gerald Wallace because we the leaders of the team.”
While getting chewed out by Michael Jordan could crush any player, the living legend wasn't done yet. He then subbed himself into practice, joined the second team, and proceeded to beat the starters.
Whatever he had on, he came out there, pushed whoever Gerald Wallace was guarding, the three-guard, kicked him out and got in that spot, played with the second team. ... He scored a couple points, you know what I'm saying? He scored a couple of points, and to the point where he talked so much s*** afterward, he grabbed the ball and went and dunked one on the way out. Yeah. True story.
Stephen Jackson
Jackson, however, wasn't crushed by the experience. Instead, he came away with one unshakable thought: “That’s why he’s the GOAT.”
Unfortunately for MJ, his motivational tactics didn't work. The Charlotte Bobcats finished the 2010-11 season with a 34-48 record.
Even Michael Jordan, it seems, can't win them all.
