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Michael Jordan Drops Truth Bomb on Scottie Pippen Arguing With Magic Johnson to Declare MJ “Best in the World”

Published 04/02/2022, 2:29 PM EDT

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When one talks about the best basketball team ever, the 1992 Dream Team ranks right on top. The team represented the United States of America in the Olympic Games held in Barcelona that year. Moreover, the team brought stars like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Charles Barkley together.

Interestingly enough, the two stars of the NBA at that time actually became closer during the Olympic games. Magic Johnson and Jordan were undoubtedly two of the best players in that generation who had several differences, but the Olympics got them closer.

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Talking about his time on the US National team, Michael Jordan also talked about how his teammate Scottie Pippen and himself were hell-bent on proving why MJ was the best in the world.

Michael Jordan puts Magic Johnson in his place

The 1992 United States National Team was more than legendary. Not only did they bring home the Gold Medal from Barcelona that year, but the team also combined fiercely combative rivals into teammates. The team consisted of superstars like Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson, to name a few.

via Imago

In one of the most interesting stories coming out of the team, Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen tries to assert MJ as the best player in the world. This happened during one of the game sessions in the team’s private quarters. The game involved MJ, Charles Barkley, Pippen, Magic, and Patrick Ewing. 

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Interestingly enough, Jordan was waiting for the moment the conversation turned toward who the best player in the league is. Michael Jordan said, “then, we started talking about how we won back to back, and it’s in the ’90s, and you know, Magic wouldn’t let it go.”

MJ added, “He wouldn’t let it go. ‘We got five championships. Me and Bird, we were the ’80s. Blah blah blah. And then, Pip was there to cosign with me. These are the ’90s. There’s a new kid on the block.” 

Interestingly enough, Jordan mentions how Larry Bird came over and convinced Magic Johnson that he should let go. Despite Bird’s intervention, the conversation regarding the topic went on late.

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Despite their differences, the team dominated the entire Olympics. The Dream Team shot 57.8% from the field while the other teams could only muster up 36.5% against them! Moreover, the average margin of victory for the team was an insane 43.8 points!

Charles Barkley led the team in scoring with 18.0 points per game and Scottie Pippen led the assist charts with 47 assists. (Source: NBA.com)

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Who do you think is the NBA GOAT? Let us know in the comments down below.

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Written by:

Abhinava Ghosh

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Abhinava is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication. Abhinava has been following NBA for the past 6 years and is a huge fan of the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry.
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Edited by:

Ajinkya Aswale