Michael Jordan, the legendary player for the Chicago Bulls, did not select an NBA legend as his toughest opponent.
In the 1984 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls legend was chosen as the third overall pick, and he rapidly established himself in the game.
He would go on to win six championships, five MVP honours, and six MVP titles in the Finals.
Jordan, who is recognised by many as the greatest basketball player of all time, immediately distinguished himself as a unique talent and ended his rookie campaign with the Rookie of the Year title.
When Michael Jordan was a rookie in the NBA, someone asked him who his toughest opponent was. The then 21-year-old could have mentioned any of the several NBA greats he had already faced off against when asked to choose his toughest opponent.
For example, Jordan had faced the league’s current MVP, Larry Bird, a legend of the Boston Celtics. He had also faced a formidable Detroit Pistons squad led by standout guard Isiah Thomas and legendary Los Angeles Lakers point guard Erving “Magic” Johnson.
Instead, Jordan mentioned a player who had walked in his footsteps while attending the University of North Carolina.
Michael Jordan’s toughest 1v1 opponent
“To play against? Has to be Walter Davis,” Jordan said. “I played against Walter Davis in the summertime, and he’s been an outstanding basketball player.”
Similar to Jordan, Davis stood 6 feet 6 inches tall and was a shooting guard for the UNC Tar Heels from 1974 to 1977.
Jordan, who was inspired by the standout scorer, joined the storied Dean Smith-coached collegiate team in 1981.
And even though he was never able to reach the heights that Jordan did, Davis still had a distinguished NBA career.
He became the all-time leading scorer for the Phoenix Suns after being chosen with the fifth overall pick in the 1977 NBA draft.
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Before retiring in 1992, Davis, a six-time All-Star, had stints with the Portland Trailblazers and the Denver Nuggets.
The Suns retired his No. 6 jersey in 1994. Additionally, Davis, who passed away at the age of 69 last year, was just admitted as a member of the 2024 class of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
