There have been only a handful of the fortunate NBA players who could play alongside both Michael Jordan and LeBron James. These former teammates of the two legends are Scott Williams, Larry Hughes, Jerry Stackhouse, and Brendan Haywood. So when these names turn a page from history, it is bound to be interesting.
Scott Williams remained undrafted during his college years. In 1990, the Chicago Bulls showed faith in a 22-YO Scott and got him on board. This undrafted player then won 3 NBA rings, thanks to His Airness, MJ. Now, Scott has an endless supply of interesting anecdotes to share.
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Michael Jordan would never allow Scott to win a one-on-one
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Michael Johnson during a Central Division game in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA) 1988 – 1989. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images)
The now 52-YO Scott shared how MJ would never allow him to win during the practice. Even during those once in a blue moon sequence, when Scott would make a game-winning basket, MJ would call it ‘travel’.
The three-time NBA Champion revealed, “He wanted to improve his low-post and back-to-basket game. We played a lot of 1-on-1 after practices. He would have someone throw the ball to him and he would catch it with a pivot foot on the block. He was working on trying to get around bigger, stronger players, knowing that he would have no problem with someone his size. He had to learn to shoot with a hand in his face. I never beat him in one of those one-on-one sessions.”
Scott ended up changing many franchises all along his career. He was never really a shooter or a playmaker, but he offered great defensive ability.
How MJ was the superior version of Allen Iverson
The former Bulls Center/forward gave utmost credit to MJ for improving his speed and one-on-one efficacy. He even said, “I don’t think people realize how cat-quick he was. It almost left guys flat-footed or slow-footed. He just moved at a speed that was so much faster than anybody else. He was like Allen Iverson but six inches taller in the way that he could move that basketball and put it down one time so fast and then explode. It made people look at his cape from behind.”
No wonder MJ was so successful. He would not allow any weakness to stay, as he would always acknowledge and brush off flaws with extensive training.
For Scott, the fortunate man ended his career playing a year for the Cavs where he saw LeBron in his prime.
