A real tyrant in the Chicago locker room, Michael Jordan rarely saw his teammates confront him. One of them took this risk, however, and assumed it perfectly afterwards.
If he waited so long before authorizing the broadcast of The Last Dance, it is in part because he feared to see his image degraded by the images contained in the documentary. Exemplary player on the floors, Michael Jordan was much less so in the locker room. His methods with his teammates have indeed caused a lot of reaction.
In order to retain the attention and dedication of its partners on a daily basis, His Airness had recourse to practices close to those of a dictator. As authoritarian as possible, he made sure to convey his killer mentality to them. On the other hand, he never let himself be stepped on his fingers, as the asserted leader of the group.
This was already true at the start of the Bulls dynasty, but perhaps even more so at the start of the second three-peat. At the height of his popularity, MJ could rely on the immense admiration he had from his partners. But not on that of Robert Parish. The old interior told Jackie MacMullan ofESPN in 2012 :
I told him, “I’m not as appreciative of you as these other guys. I also have rings. At that point, he said, “I’m going to kick your ass.” I took a step closer to him, and I told him, “No, you’re not going to do that.” After that, he never dared to bother me.
Arrived in 1996 in Chicago, the legendary pivot, then 43 years old, already had 20 seasons to his credit in the league, and no less than 3 champion rings. In other words, as much as Jordan. From then on, from the height of all his experience and with his strong character, he immediately wanted to show Mike that he was not the type to let himself be dominated.
