“Media Had to Kiss The Ring,” Gilbert Arenas Exposes Michael Jordan’s Shortcomings at 1992 Olympics

Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas has been open before about not being a big fan of Michael Jordan despite being born in a Chicago Bulls-loving home. However, there has been no player like Jordan in the history of the NBA. Known for his ultra-competitiveness and killer instinct, he has cemented his place as one of, if not the greatest, players of all time.

Michael Jordan had a 15-year career in the NBA. After spending 13 seasons with the Bulls and calling retirement, Jordan returned to the NBA and spent two more seasons with the Washington Wizards. But it was his time with the Bulls where he made a name for himself. Drafted as the number three pick in the 1984 NBA draft, Jordan went on to achieve immense success and several accolades in Chicago.

In Chicago, he won six NBA Championships to go along with six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, ten scoring titles, and a Defensive Player of the Year award, just to name a few. The debate for the greatest player of all time has always been around Jordan and LeBron James, but Jordan transcended the sport. He became a brand and started a trend of designer signature sneakers that was going to change the landscape of sports apparel forever.

In the 1992 Olympics, the USA Basketball team sent one of the greatest assembled squad of all time. It was the first American Olympic team to include active NBA players. Led by Jordan, the team includes other superstars such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley and more. It was nicknamed the “Dream Team”.

Arenas spoke about Jordan’s time in the ’92 Olympics and how he struggled with her performances during their run.

The media in that time was fan boys. To be media, you had to kiss the ring. There was no negativity in the early 80s, 90s. They didn’t bash Magic/Bird/Kareem for losing in finals. Imagine USA ‘92 team today, and looking at Michael Jordan box scores are talked about today from how he performed. In ‘92, nobody knows MJ was struggling in Olympics and shooting that bad against guys who were wearing AAU uniforms. We didn’t hear struggling.

Gilbert Arenas says nobody knows Michael Jordan STRUGGLED in the ‘92 Olympics because media back then were ‘fanboys’ and didn’t criticize players like they do now 😳

“The media in that time was fan boys. To be media, you had to kiss the ring. There was no negativity in the early… pic.twitter.com/xLAA4gX7jW

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 24, 2026

While Team USA went on to claim the gold medal and dominated their opponents as they were winning by an average of 44 points during the tournament, Jordan was not at his very best despite all the hype surrounding the superstar. Jordan went on to average 14.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in eight games.

Troy Bell claims to have beaten Michael Jordan in 1v1

Jordan has always been known for being a ruthless competitor, sometimes even calling out and taking it to his teammates during practice sessions. He was the type of player to instil fear in his opponents’ minds.

However, former NBA player Troy Bell claims he once got the better of Jordan in a one-on-one matchup. In an interview, Bell revealed that Jordan challenged him to a two-on-two contest for $10,000 back in 2005, which he declined in favor of them going one-on-one.

I really just think Mike thought I was a b*m. That’s what I think. He’s Mike, everyone’s a bum to Mike in his mind, that’s what I think. So in my mind I’ve seen you play a million times, but you’d probably never seen me play ever. So, game one, it didn’t matter what I did, it was working. I just remember people’s faces. They couldn’t believe it. It always looks different, too, when a shorter, smaller guy is beating a bigger guy. So it was just dancing around. Mike was literally just dancing around.

While there is no proof to Bell’s claims, there have been a lot of different stories about Jordan that remain unverified. The six-time champion has largely stayed away from the public eye since his retirement in 2003.

Michael Jordan gives Derrick Rose his flowers

Following the Bulls’ dramatic win over the Boston Celtics on Saturday, Derrick Rose was honored by the Bulls with a jersey retirement ceremony. He is the fifth player in Bulls history to have his jersey retired after the likes of Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan and Bob Love.

To mark the occasion, several former and active players paid tribute to the former MVP. Jordan was one of them as well. In a video message, Jordan said:

Derrick, congratulations on the retirement of your jersey. I’m very happy for you. You had an unbelievable career. You really represented the city of Chicago, the Chicago Bulls, your family, and yourself very, very well. So I’m very proud of you and very happy for your special night. Looking forward to coming to the United Center and seeing your jersey hanging up there with my jersey.

Michael Jordan has a message for D-Rose 🐐 pic.twitter.com/l1K2hz7Y4C

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 24, 2026

Drafted as the number one pick by the Bulls in the 2008 NBA draft, Rose spent seasons in Chicago and was the Rookie of the Year in 2009 and became the youngest player to win the MVP award in 2011 at the age of 22. However, repeated injuries never allowed him to fully realize his potential as he ended his career without a championship.

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• Troy Bell Recalls Michael Jordan Losing $10,000 Challenge in 1v1
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