Michael Jordan Reveals When He Was No Longer ‘Intimidated’ By Shaq

On the latest episode of the “Icons Club” basketball podcast, Michael Jordan revealed to Jackie MacMullan that he was a little intimidated by Shaquille O’Neal when he made his return to the league after baseball...

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“When I came back from baseball, I don’t know if I’ve ever told anyone this, I’m playing against Shaq,” Jordan told MacMullan, via New York Post. “Shaq’s the biggest player I’ve ever seen, in terms of physicality. He was this big, massive guy when I came back from baseball, so I was somewhat intimidated.

“I didn’t really know how to play against him. Do I go right at him? Do I stop and pull up? Blah blah blah. So I went right at him and he just knocked me straight to the floor, and then he reached down to pick me up.”

“I said, ‘Naw, he didn’t mean it, he’s a nice guy.’ If he’d’ve left me, stepped over me, a la the old school, I would’ve been somewhat intimidated,” Jordan added. “But his heart is too good. He’s not that type of guy. It took away some of the intimidation factor.”

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(The Spun)