“I hate his game“: Who was Michael Jordan referring to? He came to this specific conclusion about a former NBA player, who also played for the Chicago Bulls. In his long and illustrious career, Jordan studied his teammates and his opponents to talk about their games and performances. To say Michael Jordan is a competitive player would be an understatement. With his game and his attitude, he created both admirers and rivals. This NBA star, however, particularly pushed all the wrong buttons for Jordan, and the Chicago Bulls champion had nothing good to say about him. What was the reason for such beef? Why the animosity?
It seemed like Reggie Theus did not make it into Jordan’s good books. In the book, ‘Jordan Rules‘, Michael Jordan explains why he hated Theus’ game. Jordan described Theus to be a “selfish” player and one who was constantly shouting and “berating” the referees. It was also written that his face would turn cold and hard in Theus’ presence. However, that was not all.
Michael Jordan put on an aggressive play
When Reggie Theus was playing for the Brooklyn Nets, Theus stole Jordan’s thunder. “Jordan missed a pair of jumpers and Theus stole a pass intended for Jordan and scored, all in the last 95 seconds“, the book explained.
Jordan’s responses were physical and aggressive to the NBA star. He would attack Theus’ hands with a “chopping slap” when he would try a hand check. The book noted that for any other player, Michael Jordan would have pushed the hand away. But with Theus, it was “more like a karate blow“. “”I hate his game,” Jordan once said. “He’s so selfish, always berating the referees and yelling out there.”
But could there be any other reason for this hatred? Reggie Theus had dated Juanita in the past, who eventually got married to Michael Jordan. The couple split amicably after 17 years of marriage. However, Jordan never confirmed this to be a reason for his rivalry.
Jordan vs Kings’ Theus
It was in his rookie year when Theus “tried to undercut” Jordan. It was reported that when Reggie Theus, a former Bulls player, got traded to the Sacramento Kings, he boasted that no one would replace him. Jordan savored the challenge.
One time, Jordan vowed that he would score 45 points against Theus. Unfortunately, he was 2 points shy of his goal. Michael Jordan was very upset with himself.
Currently, it seems like it’s water under the bridge. In another interview, Theus said, “Michael and I have laughed about that because we have become friends over the years.“
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