Top 10 Biggest Victims of Michael Jordan's Greatness
Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the GOAT. There were numerous times when MJ torched his opponents, and they became victims of some of his most iconic moments.
Other times, another great player was simply eclipsed by the shadow of MJ. Here are 10 examples of this.
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Byron Russell
When MJ was retired the first time, Russell told him to his face he would've stopped him. MJ took a mental note on this and soon made Russell eat his words on multiple occasions, including a couple of game-winning shots in the NBA Finals.
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Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing is a Jamaican-American former professional basketball player and coach, born on August 5, 1962. He had a Hall of Fame career in the NBA, most notably with the New York Knicks. Ewing later served as the head coach of the Georgetown University men's basketball team from 2017 to 2023... read more
Patrick Ewing is regarded as the best center never to win an NBA Finals. On multiple occasions, his New York Knicks teams ran into MJ and the Bulls.
The only time Ewing and the Knicks got by Chicago was when MJ was working on his baseball career. Ewing's legacy takes a hit when it comes to not only winning a title, but never beating an MJ-led Bulls team in the playoffs.
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Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is an American retired professional basketball player and current television analyst. He played 16 seasons in the NBA and is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time. Barkley currently appears as a commentator on Inside the NBA.
In Barkley's only NBA Finals appearance, his Phoenix Suns lost in six games to the Bulls. Barkley won the 1993 regular season MVP, which MJ has since said he felt he was more deserving.
However, Jordan would remind everyone of who he was as he flat out ran the '93 Finals. Barkley and MJ were once great friends until some comments by Charles affected that friendship.
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Clyde Drexler
Clyde Austin "The Glide" Drexler is an American retired professional basketball player. During his career, he was a ten-time NBA All-Star and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Drexler won an NBA Championship with the Houston Rockets in 1995 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial... read more
In 1992, the Bulls and the Blazers met in the NBA Finals. Some people believed that Clyde Drexler was just on MJ's level.
This didn't sit well with MJ, who decided to showcase another memorable moment. He knocked down six threes in the first half and finished with 42 points in the first game while outperforming Drexler in the Finals to win in six games.
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Karl Malone
Karl Anthony Malone is an American retired professional basketball player. Nicknamed "The Mailman," Malone played the power forward position and spent his first 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association with the Utah Jazz. He formed a formidable duo with teammate John Stockton, and together they... read more
Karl Malone won the 1997 NBA MVP for his play in the regular season. But Karl couldn't live up to his dominance as MJ outperformed him to win the title in '97.
A year later, Malone had the chance to put Game 6 away and force a Game 7. But Jordan stole the ball and would go down to hit the iconic shot.
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Craig Ehlo
Craig Ehlo was a solid defender throughout his time in the NBA. Yet, each time the Cavs played the Bulls, Ehlo was given a schooling by MJ himself.
In 1989, it was Ehlo who put the Cavs on the cusp of eliminating the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs with a potential game-winning shot. Unfortunately, MJ would get his moment and shoot the buzzer-beater over Ehlo to beat Cleveland.
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Toni Kukoc
In the 1992 Olympic games, the United States were taking on Croatia with future Chicago Bull Toni Kukoc. Unsatisfied with the fact Jerry Krause was set to pay Kukoc a lot and was giving him praise, MJ and teammate Scottie Pippen decided to teach Krause a lesson by giving Kukoc a hard time.
Kukoc was held to four points on 2-of-11 shooting.
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Danny Ainge
After beating Michael in a game of golf in between their first round playoff series, Ainge would be a victim of MJ's ultimate revenge as Jordan scored a playoff record 63 points.
Though Ainge and the Celtics would win the game and the series on their way to the title, the 63 points that MJ scored sent a message that he would be coming for the crown.
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Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association for 13 seasons. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.
Though Michael Jordan was now the man, in 1992, Magic Johnson still believed he was better than MJ, even after Jordan defeated him in the '91 Finals.
While playing for the Dream Team, Jordan and Magic would talk trash to each other, but in the end, it was Michael Jordan who came out on top.
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Dikembe Mutombo
At the '97 All-Star Game, Hawks center Dikembe Mutombo let it be known that Jordan had not dunked on him throughout their entire careers. Fast forward a few months later, and with the Bulls getting ready to close out Atlanta, Jordan would finally get a posterizing dunk on Mutombo and would add insult to injury by doing Mutombo's signature finger wave.
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Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon, formerly known as Akeem Olajuwon, is a Nigerian-American retired professional basketball player. He played in the NBA from 1984 to 2002, spending most of his career with the Houston Rockets. Olajuwon led the Rockets to two NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 and was named NBA Finals... read more
Though Hakeem Olajuwon was drafted #1 overall, which was praised by many, and he would go on to have a successful career, he was in some ways a victim of MJ without having to face him at all.
Hakeem finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, and the two titles he won were when MJ wasn't around the game. However, in Hakeem's defense, MJ did say the Bulls probably wouldn't have beaten the Rockets because they had trouble guarding Hakeem, who was Houston's centerpiece.
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LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Over his career, LeBron has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and the Lakers. He has won four NBA championships.
LeBron will always be in MJ's shadow. People say he's the new Jordan, but MJ wipes the floor with him.
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Dan Majerle
Another Suns player that fell victim to MJ's greatness was Dan Majerle. Majerle was being viewed as a potential addition to the Bulls as a great defensive presence by Jerry Krause.
But not even the man they called Thunder Dan could stop MJ, who went on to have his third straight Finals win and MVP performance in the series.
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Jerry Krause
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Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne Miller is an American retired professional basketball player. He played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers. Miller is widely regarded as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall... read more
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Scottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen is an American retired professional basketball player. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association, most notably with the Chicago Bulls. Pippen was a six-time NBA champion and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.
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Sam Bowie