Patrick Johnson 
Michael Jordan holds the title of the greatest player of all time. Perhaps it was the Detroit Pistons defenses that made him hit the gym extra hard in the off-season before he finally grabbed that first title in 1991, or not making his Varsity squad at Laney High School one year that gave him his determination, but plenty of players have spoken on a not-so-secret aspect of MJ’s storied game: his trash-talking ability. Mike would get in opponents’ heads all the time on the court, but according to long-time Jordan Brand athlete Richard Hamilton, this even extended to Mike’s own teammates.
On a recent appearance on ESPN’s The Jump basketball talk show, Rip talked about his early years playing with a not-so-happy Michael Jordan on the Washington Wizards. When Hamilton was a rookie, he would frequently ask Michael Jordan about joining the Jumpman, a request that was later fulfilled, but it took some elite play and convincing before that happened. According to Hamilton:
But there was also the other side, where there was the talking trash Michael Jordan and at times, me and a couple of the young guys would come up to him and say, ‘hey Mike, why don’t you think about putting us in Brand Jordan Collection?’ And he would look at me and say, ‘hey Rip, my sneakers for All-Stars’ and at that time I’m like ‘wow, really?’
The story does have a happy ending, though. Although Rip would be traded for an aging Jerry Stackhouse, his time with the Detroit Pistons would lead to an NBA Championship and three NBA All-Star selections. Check out the full video below and stay tuned for more Air Jordan Release Dates right here on Sneaker News.
