Jerry Stackhouse is a former NBA player who competed in the league for 18 years. He was also the teammate of Michael Jordan at Washington Wizards.

In the latest podcast episode, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was joined by Stackhouse, now the coach of college basketball team Vanderbilt Commodores.

The pair widely discussed Stackhouse’s experience teaming up with Michael Jordan in the NBA and what it meant to him graduating from the same university as Jordan went to.

Michael Jordan And His Alma Mater

Jordan graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1984, after which he was selected by the Chicago Bulls as the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft. 

Ever since Jordan proved his worth in the NBA, his alma mater was also the target for everyone around. People started buzzing around the UNC and deemed it special for producing such a talent. 

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Speaking on ‘The Woj Pod’, Stackhouse remarked that he was a big fan of Jordan. Stackhouse praised Jordan for his achievements with the Bulls and his mesmerizing abilities. 

Being a basketball player at the UNC isn’t easy. Especially when the college has produced a talent like Michael Jordan. Every player is expected to perform at the top-level.

Once every few years, a promising player with a similar height and style finds himself compared with Jordan or spoken about as his successor. Stackhouse has been on the receiving end of this, and he deemed it to be flattering.

Vince Carter, currently the oldest player in the league is also a UNC graduate. He was also followed around during his college days, prospected to be the next Jordan.

Stackhouse knew he had a long way to go before becoming Jordan and said “We were never enough”. To get better and reach heights like Jordan did, it was never easy for me. But he admitted that he was always flattered with the comparisons. Stackhouse and Vince Carter considered this an honor.

Stackhouse also spoke about a time when he faced off against Jordan for the first time in the NBA. He stated that he was incredibly nervous by just knowing that he was up against Jordan. Although Jordan spun rings around him, he used to advise the youngsters to relax and take it easy.

Teammates At Washington 

Stackhouse recalls the time when he got traded from Detroit Pistons to the Washington Wizards. “Honestly I wish I never played for Washington,” said Stackhouse. 

Michael Jordan, upon returning to his third stint with the NBA, signed up with the Wizards in 2001. Stackhouse and Jordan found themselves as teammates when the former was traded in 2002. The Vanderbilt coach claims he was the better player at that moment. He said: “It kinda spiraled up into a moment where I didn’t enjoy the season at all.” 

 Speaking about his first season at Washington he said: “It was a welcoming opportunity for me, but watching a team which I helped build the foundation for in Detroit go win the championship a couple of years later, it left a bad taste in my mouth.”