By james art The stories of Michael Jordan’s competitiveness are legendary.
A new one recently resurfaced via longtime NBA writer Mark Spears, who works for Andscape. Spears told a story about how a North Carolina player disrespecting him led to Jordan embarrassing the Tar Heels’ starting lineup on the court.
It happened during Jordan’s visit to his alma mater in the mid-1990s.
“Michael Jordan goes one by one, player after player, shakes his hand and says, ‘What’s your name,'” Spears said. “So Michael Jordan walks up to him and shakes his hand, and he says, ‘What’s your name?’ “Well, my name is Mahtar Ndiaye.” Mahtar asks Jordan, “What’s your name?” Jordan looks confused and says, “Michael.”
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It got worse. Ndiaye then took issue with Jordan’s claim of being the best player in NBA history.
“Then Mahtar, like Michael Jordan, walks away and says, ‘By the way, Hakeem Olajuwon is the greatest basketball player of all time,'” Spears said. “Michael looks at him, looks a little upset and just rushes out of the room. Jordan returns to practice to play. He tells Dean Smith, “Look, give me the worst guys and I’ll play the worst against your stars.” You had Michael Jordan with three shots. He destroyed the second team do and then left.”
Jordan apparently never forgave Ndiaye because the incident went on for several years.
“Years later, Makhtar Ndiaye and Antawn Jamison were at the Super Bowl in Miami trying to get into that lofty club and they couldn’t get in,” Spears said. “They just didn’t care what kind of celebrity you were unless you were super high level. Michael Jordan steps out of the balcony and looks down. Mahtar sees him, “Mike, Mike, Mike, can you help us in? Jordan looks down at him and says, “Oh, now you remember my name, Africa?” And turns and walks back into the club.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. You can find him at [email protected]
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