The heroics of Michael Jordan are etched in the memories of every NBA fan. Despite being one of us, in flesh and blood, Jordan scaled himself to the point where he was god-like. Understandably, it is difficult to imagine that the man who won NBA championships for fun was intimidated by someone. His Airness admitted to being intimidated by the likes of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson during an interview with Vanity Fair in 1998.

Although Jordan went on to become arguably the greatest ever in the game of basketball, him being intimidated by his idols is understandable. Later in his career, even his heroes acknowledged the Chicago Bulls legend’s greatness. During his interview, the 6x NBA champion explained the difference between how he saw his idols on the court and off of it.

When Michael Jordan used to be intimidated by other NBA legends

The 6x Finals MVP is undeniably the most popular athlete the game has ever produced. His fame is not a fluke by any means and everything he has is well deserved. His Airness also helped propel this beautiful game to the height that allowed future superstars to bud within the organization. At the time, for a rookie in the NBA, it was overwhelming for young Jordan to be surrounded by his idols, which made him feel intimidated.

Although he wasn’t afraid of them on the court as Jordan still believed that he was the best on the hardwood. The personalities of his idols and the surrounding aura off the court made a young Jordan look at them differently. During a 1998 interview with Vanity Fair, he said, “I wasn’t afraid of them on the court, because I believed I had the skills to compete with anybody.”

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However, the situation off the court was slightly different for the young man. He said, “Their presence off the court intimidated me,” showing that despite being revered as the GOAT, he is in fact, a human like all of us. “I felt the same way about all the stars at that time: Los Angeles Laker Magic Johnson, Philadelphia 76er forward Julius Erving?all of them,” he said about his idols.

Michael Jordan was over the moon after being acknowledged by his idol

Greatness transpires from something and in the case of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird was the player who pushed him. He said during the interview that Bird’s acknowledgment meant the most to him. He also credited Bird as the one who solidified him as a “real player.” “Larry Bird’s comments gave me credibility,” he said about Bird’s comments about the rookie at the time.

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