When discussing legendary athletes, few are as intimidating as Michael Jordan. The basketball icon was an undeniable force, leading the Chicago Bulls to multiple NBA championships while accumulating numerous individual awards. Through his achievements, Jordan also earned the respect of many of his opponents. Among the teams he competed against were the Magic Johnson-led Lakers of the 1980s and early 1990s, and one of the veterans from the Los Angeles squad recalled facing off against the notoriously trash-talking Jordan.

Byron Scott, who played in the NBA from 1983 to 1997, spent eleven seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. This gave him ample opportunities to compete against Michael Jordan during his prime. A three-time NBA champion, Scott recently discussed his career on the All The Smoke podcast, with the episode being shared on YouTube. During the conversation, the former player turned coach praised Jordan’s skill set. Scott’s remarks also implied that he tried his best not to provoke the Bulls’ shooting guard before a game:
“The dude was a man playing against boys, damn near. I mean, he was one of those guys — I didn’t fear anybody, but when I played against [MJ], I said, ‘I ain’t pissing him off.’ … That’s the only guy I would look at [and] say, ‘I ain’t gonna piss him off.’ He hit a shot, it’d be, ‘Good shot. Good shot, MJ.’ I said, ‘I ain’t pissing him off,’ ‘cause I’ve seen him go 40, 50 like it ain’t nothing, because a guy’s being aggressive or trying to be overly physical with him. … Everybody else, I don’t give a shit, but him, Black Jesus, I ain’t messing with him like that.”

Byron Scott is far from the first former player to highlight Michael Jordan’s exceptional skills. Magic Johnson, for instance, praised Jordan as the “strongest” athlete he had ever seen, attributing it to the immense energy Jordan possessed. Shaquille O’Neal also confessed to being “terrified” of Jordan when they faced off early in Shaq’s career. Even Scottie Pippen, who has been at odds with Jordan in recent years, has occasionally spoken highly of his talent, saying he would still play with Jordan if given another opportunity.

What many believe gave Jordan an edge was his intense competitive drive. He was relentless in his pursuit of victory and wasn’t shy about speaking his mind. To illustrate this, Byron Scott shared a story from his first tenure with the Lakers when he was injured and unable to play against Jordan. When MJ learned Scott wouldn’t be playing, he responded with a classic comment:

[Jordan] gets off the bus, and he said, ‘B, what’s up?’ I said, ‘What’s up, MJ.’ He said, ‘I heard you ain’t playing tonight.’ I said, ‘Nah.’ He said, ‘What’s wrong?’ I said, ‘My ankle.’ He said, ‘Damn, who gonna guard me?’ I said, ‘Anthony Peeler.’ He said, ‘That rookie? 50.’ … I said, ‘You gonna give him 50?’ He said, ‘I was gonna give you 50, but now if it’s him…’ He said, ‘I’ma give him 50 then.’

The former Nets coach tried to give Anthony Peeler advice on how to guard Jordan, but it didn’t have much of an impact. According to Byron Scott, Jordan went on to score 54 points in that game. What’s more, every time Jordan scored, he supposedly looked over at Scott on the bench with a smirk. This serves as a reminder of Jordan’s fearlessness and competitive mindset, which was thoroughly examined in ESPN’s The Last Dance (available on Netflix).

The debate over whether Michael Jordan is the NBA’s greatest of all time (GOAT) continues. Jordan himself addressed this question years ago, expressing that he didn’t consider himself the GOAT since he felt comparing himself to Magic Johnson or Larry Bird wasn’t possible due to the different stages of their careers. Despite this, many still argue that Jordan is the definitive GOAT, and based on comments like those from Byron Scott, it’s easy to see why.