Michael Jordan Was “The Angel” When It Came To Winning Championships, Says Steve Kerr
Four-time NBA Champion Horace Grant played 17 seasons in the NBA. He played alongside numerous Hall of Famers, including Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Shaquille O’Neal, and future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant.
He had the opportunity to play for the Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Seattle Supersonics. During his seven seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Grant had the opportunity to watch and play alongside Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen. He was also able to experience what it was like to practice against both individuals. Well, last year, Grant was a guest on the Scoop B Radio Podcast with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson and discussed what Jordan was like in practice.
“In terms of the way he practiced, we thought that we were the Detroit Pistons or the New York Knicks,” Grant told Robinson by phone.
“This guy practiced so hard and if you weren’t on his team in practice you were his enemy.”
Grant added:
“Man, let me tell you, we thought this guy was just the devil when I say the devil that’s out of respect,” he said.
The fourth all-time leading scorer and six-time NBA Champion was a fantastic talent, and Grant agrees. “And that’s how driven this man was,” he said. “And that’s why you can say that he was the best player that ever played this game.”
Steve Kerr is another player who played with Michael during their second three-peat; he even made a critical shot in the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. That ultimately sealed the series and secured the Bulls’ fifth championship in front of their home crowd.
I recently had the opportunity to ask Kerr about Grant’s comments on Jordan:
“He was the Angel when it came to winning championships. MJ was a force in practice every day unbelievably competitive, never seen anyone compete the way he did in practice every day. He set a competitive tone that was not for everyone, but he made our team tougher and help prepare us for the playoffs. He helped prepare us for big moments, and he raised the bar for us. It wasn’t always easy, but it was effective, ” Kerr told me.
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