Michael Jordan delivered his coldest-ever response to one fan who insisted the NBA icon was a bully on the court.
Jordan spent 13 consecutive season with the Chicago Bulls, staking his claim to be one of the greatest to ever play the sport.
Despite winning countless honours, it was perhaps his showmanship and aura that best defined him and one moment back in 1987 stands out in that sense as one of the low-key highlights of his career.
A game against Utah Jazz back in 1987 saw Jordan pitted against plenty of talented stars, including that of John Stockton.
Opting to dunk over one of the NBA‘s best-ever pure point guards, the now 61-year-old was then brilliantly heckled by a member of the crowd.
As recalled by former teammate Karl Malone, the encounter made for a brilliant tale years later.
The angry fan is said to have got up and yelled: “Hey Jordan, pick on someone your own size”.
In the very next phase of Bulls possession, MJ proceeded to dunk over 6’11” Mel Turpin before immediately seeking out the fan and asking: “Was he big enough?”
Fans quickly jumped to defend Jordan, claiming his abilities on the court were almost superhuman at times.
“Jordan was an absolute freak athlete,” wrote one user on Reddit.
“Typical GOAT stuff. Wish I was alive during his prime,” added another.
“The most ridiculous part about this is that for most players, this level of pettiness would cause them to play stupidly and make mistakes, but for Jordan the pettiness only seemed to level him up,” said a further fan.
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Mahone has gone on record in the past to admit how fond he was of Jordan’s abilities but declined to appear on an interview for the ESPN documentary ‘The Last Dance’.
It is clear the 61-year-old can still appreciate Jordan’s talents, however.
“I have the utmost respect for Michael, but I never thought I was playing Michael Jordan. I was playing the Chicago Bulls,” he said.
“Everybody says this person was a bad man and all that. Well, yes, I give them respect. But I’ve got a setup. I’m a man, and I was a bad son of a bitch, too, so that’s how I look at that, and that’s who I am.”