“Mike wanted to cut your heart out” Brendan Haywood on Michael Jordan’s competitiveness

“Mike wanted to cut your heart out” Brendan Haywood on Michael Jordan’s competitiveness
Michael Jordan and Brendan Haywood for Washington Wizards

Brendan Haywood was teammates with Michael Jordan in the Washington Wizards. He is among the only 4 players who have ever played with Jordan as well as Lebron James. More often than not when you are termed as a ‘legend’, one ends up being more competitive rather than making friends. Similar, was the case with Michael Jordan. During his reign with the Chicago Bulls and even before, Jordan always wanted to excel and become the best since Day 1. 

Many fanatics and former teammates even appreciated Jordan’s way of motivating as it brought out the best of others. But more often than not, he faced a lot of criticism. What was and always will be important for Jordan, will be to become the best in every single aspect he puts his hand into. 

“He wanted you to fear him” Brendan Haywood on Michael Jordan 

In a recent interview with HoopsHype, Jordan’s teammate in the Washington Wizards, Brendan Haywood, revealed, “Mike wanted to cut your heart out. He wanted you to fear him. Mike wanted, defensively and offensively, to dominate you. That’s where they are different. He wanted to talk trash to you. He wanted to let you know that you couldn’t guard him.” 

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Not all players could match Jordan’s competitive and intense nature. Brendan Haywood narrated one such nasty story of Jordan demoralizing Byron Russell. He said, “Some of the days in practice, what MJ was saying to Byron Russell were just flat-out embarrassing. He would just go after this guy! It wasn’t like he didn’t like him. It’s just how he was. They used to compete in practice, but Russell was just a gluten for punishment. He would talk trash to MJ every day. But you can’t win that battle.” 

He added, “One day, MJ was cooking him and he pulled up and hit a game-winner. He said: ‘That’s why they call you the human highlight reel. Not because you have any highlights of your own, but because you are in all of mine.’ That’s GOAT trash talk. That shut it down.” 

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