"He was just a bad boy" - 3x NBA champion reminisces Michael Jordan's unmatched drive during UNC days

Michael Jordan is famously known for his time with the Chicago Bulls but not many remember his time at the University of North Carolina (1981-84). Three-time NBA champion James Worthy rolled back the dice during an episode of "Byron Scott's Fast Break" podcast.

Worthy, who played with Jordan at UNC for one season (1981-82), recalled his time with Jordan, calling him a "bad boy." James who was a junior by then remembers being better than Jordan for only three weeks before the G.O.A.T surpassed him in no time.

Speaking of their time at UNC, Worthy said:

"I was with Michael, he was a freshman my junior year, We only had four or five months together really. But I — the story I tell about Michael, man, I was better than him for about three weeks. And I enjoyed those three weeks, ’cause I saw somethin’ in that boy that he didn’t have it quite yet. He was learnin’ because he didn’t — he ain’t had nobody really.

"I don’t know what his high school coach but he was a better baseball player. But he would seek out the best in everything: chess, backgammon. And if he lost, he was irately made like he just lost a Game 7. So, we practiced two-and-a-half hours. We runnin’ them sprints, and you tired. Now you gotta go to study hall," Worthy continued.

"I’m tryna get off the floor, here he come. Pushin’ me, ‘Where you goin’ young fella? Where you goin’ — you scared?’ So, he always wanted to play a little one-on-one, so we played a little bit. He was just a bad boy."

The duo played together for one season during the 1981-82 campaign where Worthy averaged 15.6 points while Michael Jordan averaged 13.5 points per game.

"I'' bust your A**" James Worthy recalls Michael Jordan's jibes despite having the last laugh

Winning the 1982 NCAA championship together Michael Jordan and James Worthy both went on to have a successful career in the NBA. James was drafted first overall and went on to win three NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Michael Jordan on the other hand was drafted by the Bulls and won six NBA titles holding the better overall record between the two during their professional careers. Despite that Worthy claims to have one victory over MJ that he can take to his grave.

Speaking to Adam Mendler on this "Thirty Minutes Mentor" podcast, the Hall of Famer revealed that he used to beat MJ in 1 vs 1 despite his taunts and jibes.

"He said stuff like, 'Yeah, I'll bust your a**,' you know? He was just always like that with a big smile on his face," Worthy said. "I think I beat him three out of five times and I stopped playing. And that's the one thing that I have on him to this day are those three games in a one-on-one that I beat him."

Having the last laugh, Worthy has done what many NBA players can only dream of. A true legend of the game the 1982 Tar Heels will always be legendary and it was all possible due to the duo of James Worthy and Michael Jordan.