The 1990s were a bruising, bloody era of NBA basketball. Many of the teams we can remember from that time were built on hatred for opponents and plenty of rough-housing on the court. Brawls were considered normal, in-game fights happened often, and no one liked each other. It made for entertaining basketball but also funny stories told by players after retirement, when the dust settled.
Michael Jordan, as is well-known, was a very competitive player. He valued nothing more than winning, except never allowing himself to lose. MJ took everything personal, from media stories to trash-talk to non-existent newspaper articles about another player, which he fabricated just to fire himself up before a lackluster regular season game.
Every individual matchup with every opponent was a big deal to Jordan. Sometimes it got physical in a nasty way, and all the better for the fans. As is customary with the greatest of all-time in any field, MJ had seemingly limitless rivalries on the floor, but only had time to truly consider a few. Which altercations became the most physical for Mike?
In his Hall of Fame speech, Jordan shouted out many opponents who battled fiercely against him in the 80s and 90s. MJ credited them for keeping him motivated and hungry to accomplish more in the NBA. He had high praise for one player in particular, however, and it's not who you might think.
Michael Jordan Named the Player Who "Hit Him the Hardest"
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan had many rivalries in the 1980s and 1990s on his way to becoming the GOAT. He battled unsuccessfully with Larry Bird's Celtics and Isiah Thomas' Pistons many times in the 80s, using those losses to fuel him and learn lessons to dominate the following decade like no one ever has.
In the 90s, he fought with the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, and Utah Jazz, among others. Players like Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone, and John Stockton tried to stand up to him, but nearly always failed. Jordan won a title in six consecutive full seasons from 1991 to 1998 (he sat out 1994 and part of 1995 to play baseball).
However, as Jordan gave one of the best Hall of Fame speeches ever, he focused in on a few people who deserved most credit. Pat Riley, Patrick Ewing, and John Starks were mentioned for his five playoff series victories over them, but one player got the funniest honor.
According to Jordan, the guy who "hit him the hardest" during games was Knicks role player, Charles Oakley. Oakley, who is now banned from Madison Square Garden due to a beef with owner James Dolan, despite being a ten-year Knick, was an awesome role player for New York from 1989 to 1998.
Oakley, who only averaged 10.4 points and 10.0 rebounds for his Knicks career, was better known for his exploits as a glue guy and agitator. He often created or involved himself in scuffles simply to get his teammates going, and never shied away from a fight, no matter the opponent. The same goes even for Michael Jeffery Jordan, the greatest player of all-time.
Jordan even mentioned how Oakley didn't allow him to go out to lunch or dinner with Knicks players because "we don't fraternize with the enemy". MJ also called Oakley his best friend, despite the damage he imposed on Jordan physically. This makes sense, as Oakley spent his first three seasons alongside Jordan in Chicago.
Oakley Perfectly Represented the 1990s Knicks
Charles Oakley
Although Oakley played three years with Jordan in Chicago, becoming close personal friends, he shared the same competitive mentality as MJ. Perhaps that's why the two hit it off so well. Once Oakley got to New York City, he immediately shared the identity of the blue-collar city and its basketball team.
The 1990s Knicks were full of scrappers who weren't afraid to make the game ugly in order to win. John Starks, Patrick Ewing, Anthony Mason, and Derek Harper all brought it every night. Head coach Pat Riley was as gritty as coaches come, and his hard-nosed philosophy rubbed off on the entire team.
No one took rivalries more seriously than Oakley, however. He was willing to fight anyone who came into Madison Square Garden looking to win, and didn't care about the consequences. He and Jordan had several altercations in the 1990s during the intense Bulls/Knicks rivalry, which MJ mentions in his speech.
Although New York never beat Jordan in a playoff series, they were certainly one of his tougher matchups. Three of the five series went six or seven games, complete with legendary moments from both sides.