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“I’m Gonna Break Both Your Legs”: Michael Jordan’s Arrogant Mistreatment of His Teammate Once Drew the Wrath of 3x NBA Champion

Published 10/07/2022, 11:30 AM EDT

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Michael Jordan is one of the most fierce and passionate athletes to have ever played in the NBA. He led the Chicago Bulls to two three-peats in the 1990s. Despite becoming an immediate NBA sensation in his rookie season in 1984, it took Jordan seven years to win his first championship in 1991. The Chicago Bulls legend never looked back from there and won five more championships with the Bulls. However, Jordan knew that he could not do it alone.

In fact, he needed support from his teammates to get a realistic shot at the championship. However, they often did not share the same work ethic as Jordan which posed a problem for him to realize his goals. Therefore, the 14-time All-Star tried to motivate his team by setting high standards which compelled his teammates to follow him. Unfortunately, there were situations when Jordan’s authority over other players led to conflicts within the team.

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Michael Jordan was addicted to winning, and was prepared to give up anything for it. He hated losing, which often resulted in some heated conversations with a few teammates. While Phil Jackson was the Bulls coach from 1989-1998, Michael Jordan held the real authority over the team, according to some. He often raised the level of intensity during practice which resulted in a lot of fights with other players.

Once, Michael Jordan’s stipulations led to an altercation between him and Bill Cartwright.

Bill Cartwright stood up to Michael Jordan

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In the Michael Jordan ESPN SportsCentury episode, Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune revealed that Michael kept going at Bill Cartwright all the time in the locker room with everyone present. The 1980 NBA All-Star could not take it anymore and got furious at Jordan. As per Smith, Cartwright pulled Michael aside and said, “Look, if you do anything like that again, you will never play basketball. Because I’m gonna break both your legs.”

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After winning three championships with the Bulls, Catwright decided to leave the franchise in 1994. Jordan always tried to take his teammates to the next level. The process often led to a difference in opinion. However, his skills and approach inspired his teammates to do better and give what it takes to keep winning every time.

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The Chicago Bulls have won all their six championships with Michael Jordan. Therefore, while his teammates might have struggled to play with him, it certainly brought them a lot of success.

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Written by:

Rohit Kumawat

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Rohit Kumawat is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing an MBA in Media and Business Management, Rohit holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has been working as a Sports and Entertainment writer for over a year.
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