‘Something wrong with this dude’ – Michael Jordan’s blistering outburst left teammates stunned underlining why ‘dangerous’ icon is different

There’s only ever going to be one Michael Jordan.

Dream Team teammate, friend, and rival, Charles Barkley recently went on The Bill Simmons Podcast and shared two stories that tell you all you need to know about the legend of Jordan.

While Barkley and Jordan were rivals in the NBA, they developed a close bond during their time together on Team USA in 1992.

That’s where Barkley saw firsthand why Jordan was the way that he was.

“This dude is something scary, I’ve never seen,” Barkley said. “Like I said, he’s a little taller than me, he can outrun everybody and he’s got an attitude…

“So, we’re playing in the Tournament of Americas in Portland, Oregon. We’re playing Puerto Rico. So, me, Michael, Chuck Daley, and David Robinson go play 18 holes that morning.

“So, we’re done and we said, ‘Chuck, let’s go get some rest. We got a game tonight.’

“Mike said, ‘I’m gonna play 18 more.’ Chuck says, ‘We got a game tonight.’ He says, ‘I’m gonna play 18 more.’ So, we leave and he goes play 18.

“We went back and got some rest. We get to the game and we’re all getting dressed and Daley says, ‘David, you got this dude. Charles, you got this dude. Irvin, you got this dude.’

“Michael looks up and says, ‘I got him.’ And Chuck says, ‘He’s the point guard.’ Michael says, ‘I got him.’ Chuck says, ‘Okay.’

“We start the game and Michael screams at this little kid from Puerto Rico, ‘Don’t you ever f****** say anything about me in the newspaper. He’s guarding this dude like it’s Game Seven.

Getty

Getty

Getty

“This is after 36 holes. He’s screaming at this little kid and we’re looking around like, ‘Yo, man, there’s something wrong with this dude.’

“He’s screaming at this kid from Puerto Rico, ‘Don’t you ever say anything about me. I read what you said in the newspaper.’

“He’s doing that little drill, where you turn people, which most people that are fast enough, you can’t turn them. He’s guarding this dude like it’s Game Seven and he’s screaming at this kid.”

Barkley’s amazement only grew during the Olympic Games in Barcelona in the summer of 1992.

“Then we’re in the Olympics and we’re playing Croatia,” he continued.

“They got Toni Kukoc who’s averaging like 40 points a game. Scotty [Pippen] and Michael say, ‘Chuck, we’re going to take turns guarding Kukoc.’

“Chuck says, ‘Toni Kukoc, we’re not going to let him score.’ Guy is averaging 40 points a game. You know, one thing about those international teams, they run the same play for the same guy.

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“It was one of the best defensive performances I’ve ever seen. These dudes are talking at us in timeouts. They’re screaming at us, like, we’re not going to let him score. I think he finished something like seven for 30, something like that.

“That’s why I said Michael is wired differently. It was beautiful and amazing. Those are the two most interesting things that I’ve ever seen him do. Man, he’s just wired differently.”

Barkley likened Jordan to one other player: Kobe Bryant, while also giving LeBron James his flowers. But he noted a key difference between the three.

“The three best players I’ve ever seen were Michael, Kobe, and LeBron. And I’ll tell you the difference in the three,” said Barkley.

“Michael and Kobe are dangerous. They’ll kill your a**. LeBron is a nice guy. And that’s not a knock. He’s still a great, great, great player, but he’s a nice guy. Michael and Kobe aren’t nice guys. They’re different.”

There will only ever be one Jordan, but Bryant was close.