Michael Jordan once bluntly claimed Hakeem Olajuwon was not a bonafide center

Michael Jordan is considered the greatest player to have ever stepped on a basketball court. However, throughout NBA history, many have challenged him for the GOAT position. The 1994 MVP, Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the candidates who has been named as a candidate in some GOAT debates.

Olajuwon played as his team's number five and mastered the game under the rim. However, Jordan once questioned the former Rockets star's center skills and claimed that the two-time NBA champion wasn't a bonafide center.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated on Jan. 29, 1996, the Chicago Bulls legend described Olajuwon as a "small forward" who filled in as a big man.

"You haven't had a dominant center win a championship in eight years, and don't talk about Olajuwon. He's a small forward playing center," Jordan said.

Olajuwon, who stands seven feet tall, had an illustrious career in the NBA. The former Rockets star has made the most of his natural gift.

Olajuwon earned 12 All-Star nominations, two Finals MVP awards and two Defensive Player of the Year awards. He won all these honors while playing as a big man for his team.

Michael Jordan once explained why he couldn't put himself over Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the GOAT debate

Michael Jordan once explained why he didn't consider himself the Greatest of All Time, even though players like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird had made their mark in history before him. MJ is regarded as the GOAT because of his incomparable basketball skills and competitive spirit. However, "his Airness" has always been humble when asked about being the GOAT.

In a 2013 interview with SLAM, the Chicago Bulls legends credited Johnson and Bird for mentoring him.

"I don't put myself above them," MJ said. "I think that we're all on parallel ground here. You know, they educated me about a lot of things about the game, from a team standpoint. So, I can't put myself above … I mean, people try to, but we played in different eras."

Johnson and Bird led the NBA from the late 1970s to the early 1990s until Jordan joined the league. They gave the fans one of the most intense rivalries, splitting the basketball world into two at the time and making the Lakers and Celtics into the basketball powerhouses they are now.