Die-hard NBA fans might still remember the infamous fight between former Chicago Bulls players Michael Jordan and Steve Kerr. The fight took place during a Bulls’ practice session in 1995. MJ reportedly struck Kerr when the later hit MJ in the chest. The fight ended with the Bulls coach, Phil Jackson throwing Jordan out of the practice but MJ eventually apologized to Kerr.
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Michael Jordan was known to go hard on his teammates and not just his opponents. During practice, he would always spout out harsh words towards his teammates resulting in plenty of fights. His former Bulls teammate, B.J Armstrong had stated that the NBA legend would always raise the intensity level during their practices. The Last Dance docuseries too covered the brutal exchange between Jordan and Kerr. Jackson had reportedly assigned Kerr to guard Jordan during one of their practices. According to Kerr, MJ was repeatedly trash-talking, which angered him. Furthermore, Jackson was giving several foul calls against Jordan’s team which irked him as he felt that Jackson was protecting Kerr.
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MJ then fouled Kerr which reportedly angered the latter and he struck out at Jordan. The situation got ugly when Jordan hit Kerr back in the eye which resulted in Jackson kicking MJ out of the practice.
“He hauls off and hits me in the chest, and I just haul off and hit him right in the f—–g eye,” Jordan said. “And Phil just throws me out of practice.” he added.
Michael Jordan apologizes to Steve Kerr
After Michael Jordan was kicked out of the practice, he got upset and went home. Jordan apparently felt bad for the ugly spat and called Steve Kerr right away. He got to Kerr’s answering machine and MJ apologized for his brutal retaliation.
“I said, ‘Steve, I’m so sorry. My anger got the best of me.'” revealed Jordan in an ESPN documentary, as he recalled the fight.
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The phone call apparently fixed whatever differences MJ and Kerr had at the time. In May 2020, Kerr told ESPN that after the fight, the duo reconciled with each other and their relationship improved.
“In a strange way, it was almost a necessary step in our relationship, in a weird way,” said the head coach of Golden State Warriors.
The Chicago Bulls‘ three-peat might serve as a proof to support Kerr’s statement. The Bulls went on to win three back-to-back championships from 1996-98.
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Do you think Jordan used to be too harsh on his teammates? Is it because of MJ’s constant brutal tactics that the Bulls won two three-peat championships? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!