Opinion | ‘Black Jesus’ emerges as ESPN’s The Last Dance paints a fulsome profile of Michael Jordan – finally
- Reggie Miller reveals MJ’s self-appointed nickname as viewers offered unprecedented glimpse into the mind of basketball’s GOAT
- The Last Dance shows what it takes to be a champion, as Jordan was largely fuelled by anger, revenge and a desire to shut everyone up – which he did
Well, we sure did in the ninth episode as Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller, a well-versed talker of trash, got an earful after he tried to upstage Jordan as a rookie during his 1987-88 season. Miller said Jordan looked sluggish in the first half of their first game against one another, which led Miller to fling some verbal knives towards the Bulls superstar.
“You’re Michael Jordan?” Miller said. “The guy who walks on water?”
Everyone who has watched The Last Dance knows what happened next. Jordan made a career out of turning slights against his opponents. Just ask Seattle Supersonics coach George Karl, who snubbed Jordan at a restaurant before their 1996 NBA Finals. Miller, like Karl, learned the hard way when you p*** off basketball’s GOAT it is at your own peril.
“Don’t ever talk trash to Black Jesus,” Jordan said to Miller after going on an absolute tear in the second half, and making the Pacers newbie look like a fool.
