On the court, Michael Jordan was a force to be reckoned with. His trash-talking and fierce competitiveness was legendary, and he struck fear into his opponents. However, there was one individual who could get under Jordan’s skin like no other. Surprisingly, this person wasn’t a rival belonging to the Bad Boy Pistons or Larry Bird—he was a football player.

2x Super Bowl champion Lawrence Taylor recently shared the story of how he and Jordan first crossed paths on the All The Smoke podcast. Taylor recounted that during his rookie year with the Giants, he had the chance to practice with Jordan’s team. “Well Mike, my rookie year at the Giants, Mike came to school that year so I came back to finish up school that summer,” Taylor explained. “He was playing with the team practicing with the team and Dean Smith allowed me to practice with them,” he added. And that’s where their unique friendship began but there’s a catch.

Every time Taylor guarded Jordan, he would physically challenge him, prompting Jordan to call for a foul. “Every time I turned around he’d just say ‘hey call the foul’ I just hit you a little bit, come on man,” Taylor revealed. This had Taylor jokingly wanting to guard Jordan every time, as it seemed to push Jordan’s buttons.

Taylor didn’t hold back on his competitive nature, acknowledging that he wasn’t necessarily a “fair player,” but he was always a tough competitor. Despite the banter, Taylor had immense respect for Jordan, calling him the greatest of all time. Interestingly, Jordan himself didn’t consider himself the best; he looked up to his elder brother, Larry, who played alongside him at Laney High School. “He’s the Air Jordan. I’m number 2, he’s 1,” Michael said of Larry in The Last Dance.

Buzz Peterson, Jordan’s North Carolina teammate, noted that while many feared Jordan on the court, one person who could truly intimidate him was Lawrence Taylor. “There is one guy that I always thought, and I know to this day — I don’t know if Michael won’t admit or not, but I swear that he had a little bit of fear of — and it wasn’t a basketball player. It was a football player by the name of Lawrence Taylor,” Peterson recalled. Clearly, even the greatest of all time had his fears, and LT was one of them.

L.T. on Jordan’s competitiveness

Though Lawrence Taylor was quick to admit in the podcast that Michael Jordan was one of the best players ever, he didn’t hold back on calling him the best when it came to fouling. Everyone on the podcast panel couldn’t help but agree. Taylor even doubled down in a 2020 interview with The New York Post, saying, “Of all the people I know, he’s [Michael Jordan] probably the most competitive person I know.”

And it wasn’t just talk. Taylor shared how Jordan’s competitive streak extended far beyond the basketball court. “He’ll bet on a daggone 50-foot putt and goddammit, if he bets on it, nine times out of 10 he’s gonna make it,” Taylor said.

This relentless drive was on full display in ESPN’s documentary The Last Dance, which highlighted Jordan’s unmatched hunger to win during his time with the ’90s Chicago Bulls. Jordan’s love for gambling was no secret either, with bets placed on just about anything.

But Taylor made it clear—it wasn’t about the money for Jordan; it was about winning. “Don’t get it confused,” Taylor emphasized. “He is trying to win every bet. He might not care, but he is trying to win every bet. Everything that is out there. He’s trying to win at all times. And there’s nothing wrong with that.” Taylor stated for Jordan, every moment was a competition, and losing just wasn’t an option.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.