"Next time, wear a skirt so I know who and what you are" - Toni Kukoc explains Michael Jordan's way of dealing with scared teammates
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players ever, but it also means he has high standards. That affected most of his teammates, as MJ used to be an incendiary individual who drew the ire of some players.
Michael had the reputation of being a ball hog, as he was the primary scorer. MJ preferred to play and carry the team by himself. However, he could have meshed better with some of his teammates, especially in practice. Toni Kukoc had first-hand experience playing with Jordan, which he talked about recently.
“Michael was like that. Michael was getting criticized for not passing. In games, he would test you,” Kukoc said to Sport Klub. “He passed you the ball, and if you didn't shoot it and passed it off to someone else, then he would tell you, 'Next time, wear a skirt so I know who and what you are.’”
Jordan won by becoming a better teammate
While MJ did not shed his ball-hog reputation amongst casual fans, Michael matured into a team player. The proof is his love for teammates like John Paxson, who played a pivotal role in the first three-peat from 1991 to 1993. Jordan even slammed the Bulls for not trying to pay Paxson more.
MJ passed the ball to John, who hit a crucial three-point shot in the 1993 Finals, cementing himself as a legend in Chicago. That was a sign that Jordan was beginning to trust his teammates more, as the offense was more fluid than revolving around him and isolation plays.
Another example of Jordan’s growth as a playmaker was during the second three-peat with sharpshooting guard Steve Kerr. During the 1997 Finals against Utah, Steve told Michael that he would be ready, and MJ trusted him enough to take the clutch shot, veering away from his ball-hog reputation.
“Yeah, it's been replayed on NBA TV several times… Of course, I was feeling very good. And Michael was always looking ahead to what was next. He was always kind of envisioning the next play. And he just said during the next timeout that 'Stockton's going to come to double-team me, so be ready.' And I looked way more confident in that shot than I really was,” Kerr said on NBA TV’s Open Court.
MJ was right to test his teammates
Jordan was right to have high standards because it was the primary reason behind his success. Michael demanded a lot from his teammates because he knew he couldn't do it alone.
Jordan might have been super competitive and talented enough to take on the entire team, but he still needed teammates to succeed. It is part of being a superstar, as every star player needs a good supporting cast to help them charge into the NBA Finals and win championships. It might sound harsh to some, but MJ only did it to get the most out of his teammates, and he did so by winning six titles.
