Often hailed as the greatest to grace the court, Michael Jordan is an icon of the basketball world. An integral cog of the Chicago Bulls machine, he would go on to secure six NBA Championships, five MVPs, and six Finals MVPs.
As the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, MJ quickly made a name for himself. A prolific scorer, he entertained crowds across the US, while also standing out as one of the best defensive players in the league. His incredible leaping ability was showcased via his slam dunks from the free-throw line in slam dunk contests, a feat which gained him the nickname 'Air Jordan', a name which later fuelled one of Nike's most popular shoe designs.
Having secured the 'Rookie of the Year' award in his debut season, he would maintain his excellence across his 15 seasons in the NBA. After securing a three-peat with his 1991, '92, and '93 NBA titles, he cited mental and physical exhaustion as the reason for his early retirement ahead of the 1993-94 season. Having returned in early 1995, he repeated his incredible three-peat, leading the Bulls to Championships in 1996, '97, and '98. A serial record-breaker, Jordan holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average (30.1 points per game) and career play-off scoring average (33.4 points per game).
When asked in his rookie season who his toughest opponent was, the then-21-year-old had a plethora of household names which he could choose from.
Boston Celtics icon and reigning MVP, Larry Bird, was an obvious choice, and it would've been warranted, as Bird went on to win the second of his legendary MVP three-peat in the 1984-85 NBA season.
The eventual league champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, were headed up by point guard Erving 'Magic' Johnson and Finals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, MJ settled on someone who he had followed closely on his rise through the ranks.
"To play against? Has to be Walter Davis. I played against Walter Davis in the summer, and he’s been an outstanding basketball player.”
Michael Jordan
Walter Davis' Career
After being named as MJ's toughest opponent, he went and had a stellar NBA career
Much like Jordan, Davis came through as a point guard at the University of North Carolina, representing the UNC Tar Heels between 1974 and 1977. Michael Jordan looked up to Davis and would later join the Tar Heels in 1981, developing under the stewardship of coach Dean Smith.
After being snatched up by the Phoenix Suns as the fifth pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, Davis would win the 'Rookie of the Year' award in 1978. Having plied his trade in Arizona for 11 years, 'The Greyhound' would go on to become the Suns' all-time leading scorer with 15,666 points, only surpassed by Devin Booker in 2025.
A six-time All-Star, Davis would spend four years with the Denver Nuggets before retiring in 1992, following a year with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Post-retirement, the Suns honoured his services to the franchise by retiring his No.6 shirt in 1994. Following his death in 2023, at the age of 69, Davis was officially inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in October 2024.
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