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The great Michael Jordan dominated teams in the NBA for over a decade. Making him a fearful opponent to play against. However, not everyone was scared of Jordan. The Bad Boys Pistons, for instance. dominated the Chicago Bulls and Jordan for quite some time early in his career. It seems former Seattle Supersonics coach George Karl is also one of the few who weren’t really terrified or nervous of MJ.

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During a recent podcast, he reflected upon his Hall of Fame coaching career in the NBA among other things. In a segment of the podcast, the host asked him to name the players who troubled him the most. Interestingly enough, he named players like Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson while leaving out Jordan.

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Hall of Fame coach talks about the most difficult players to play against

George Karl is one of the most legendary coaches ever. He spent over three decades coaching teams like the Seattle Supersonics, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Denver Nuggets to name a few. During this time, he faced many great players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and others.

Interestingly enough, he faced Jordan and the Bulls in the NBA Finals once which did not end well for Karl’s team. However, he doesn’t feel the six-time NBA champion is a difficult player to gameplan against.

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During the podcast, George Karl said, “I think the most difficult guy to gameplan for was Shaquille O’Neal, but I was much more nervous when I played against the great point guards like Magic, Stockton, Nash. The point guards always scared me because I didn’t think there were defensive opportunities to figure them out because they knew what was going on before I knew what was going on.”

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READ MORE: “He Was Michael Jordan Before Michael Jordan”: Dennis Rodman Showered Massive Praise on Ex Bulls Teammate in 2020

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Karl spent 7 seasons with the Seattle Supersonics where he led them to the NBA finals in 1996. The team faced the Bulls and Jordan and the rest is history. Regardless of whether Karl feels Jordan is difficult to play against or not, there is no denying that the billionaire NBA legend has the upper hand over the legendary coach.

Michael Jordan dominated the Supersonics to win the NBA title

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The Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman entered the 1996 NBA finals as the heavy favorites. Safe to say, they lived up to their favorites tag.

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They won the series 4-2 with Jordan dominating the Supersonics. He averaged 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists during the series as he rightfully won the Finals MVP award alongside the NBA title.

WATCH THIS STORY: There’s no money left 5x NBA champion Dennis rodman, while deciding between the lakers and Miami, got a brutal reality check despite a stellar career.

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What is your favorite memory of Michael Jordan? Let us know in the comments down below.

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Written by

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Abhinava Ghosh

1,823 Articles

Abhinava Ghosh is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports with a wealth of experience covering the league. He has written over 1400 articles for EssentiallySports, showcasing his expertise in analyzing and reporting on NBA trade rumors, injury updates, and the ever-changing dynamics of the league. He had successfully covered the entire Kevin Durant trade saga at Brooklyn, which led to the basketball legend’s move to the Desert. He also kept our readers updated on the Brittney Griner situation throughout her exile in Russia. One of Abhinava's proudest moments came in 2015 when the Golden State Warriors won the NBA title after 40 years. As a lifelong fan of the Dubs, Abhinava was thrilled to see his team reach the pinnacle of the sport, but he remained objective and professional in his reporting.

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Jayant Chhabra

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