"I would con the guys into going to dinner with them" - Michael Jordan objects to Stan Van Gundy's remarks about him being a back stabber

During the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls’ dominance in the 90s, the New York Knicks were often one of their toughest foes. New York’s physical game anchored on Patrick Ewing, a good friend of Jordan’s, often resulted in some bruising and testy encounters over the years.

In Jordan’s stint with the Bulls, the New York Knicks never won a playoff series against the six-time champion. Their feisty encounters got added juice when New York’s former head coach Jeff Van Gundy accused “His Airness” of being a con artist. He called out the NBA’s best player for a very innovative strategy of softening up his opponents through luxurious dinners, golf games and parties.

In Jackie MacMullan’s Icons Club, she narrates how Michael Jordan took exception to the then head coach of the New York Knicks:

“Stan Van Gundy’s caught saying I would con the guys into going to dinner with them and then rip their throats out in the game. That’s not fair!.. I can separate, you know. I consider these guys friends. I wouldn’t try to con them. That’s not who I am, that's not my personality. I took offense to that comment.”

Van Gundy’s outrageous comments added fuel to the already burning competitive nature of Michael Jordan. A few days after the coach spoke those words, MJ torched the New York Knicks for 51 points and carried the Bulls to yet another hard-earned win. Jordan hit 18-30 shots, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Jordan made it known that he heard what Van Gundy said and made the Knicks’ bench tactician pay for it. The five-time MVP buried a crucial jump shot, his 51st point of the game, with 26.7 seconds remaining in the game. Van Gundy immediately called a timeout and would not acknowledge Jordan, who was openly throwing dagger looks at him.

Unfortunately for NBA fans, the Knicks and the Bulls would never meet in the playoffs again after Van Gundy said those infamous words. Otherwise, it would have brought more fuel to the fire once those two rival teams met on the court.

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Jeff Van Gundy is in awe of Michael Jordan’s greatness

Jeff Van Gundy is certain that in his prime, Michael Jordan would average more than 40 points in today's NBA. [Photo: The Sportsrush]

Before the release of The Last Dance, Van Gundy had an interview with Sports Illustrated where he gave his opinion on Michael Jordan and the Bulls. The current NBA analyst has had nothing but high praise for what “His Airness” did and accomplished in his career.

“Everyone thinks they know how good Jordan was, but until you go back and actually study him, you’ll never understand what a great, great player he was. He shot over 50% a lot of times through the physical contact he had to play through.”

He continued his analysis of what Jordan could do in today’s NBA:

“That’s why I have no doubt, if you dropped him in at his prime, in today’s game, he would average north of 40 points a game. He would be either living at the line or his variety of shots would just be too hard to handle. If fans watch the game footage closely, the amount of contact that was allowed then versus now, you’re going to be even more astounded at Jordan’s efficiency from a scoring perspective.”