Michael Jordan’s ex-teammate Ron Harper throws 1-word jab at Lionel Messi's Presidential Medal of Freedom snub

Michael Jordan’s former teammate, Ron Harper, took a cheeky jab at Lionel Messi for his absence at the White House ceremony to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S.

The Argentine World Cup winner and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was one of the 18 recipients, including NBA legend Magic Johnson, of the honor on Saturday. However, the soccer superstar did not attend the celebration at the White House.

Fox News journalist Nick Sortor later posted on X (formerly Twitter), alleging Messi didn’t even send a representative to accept it on his behalf. Sortor claimed it was:

“A big “F YOU” to Joe Biden 🤣🔥.'"

This message caught the attention of the Chicago Bulls legend, who left a one-worded message underneath the post, calling the Inter Miami star:

“Punk.”

Messi's team later released a press release saying he was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts and prior commitments.

Regardless, Messi is still more than deserving of the prestigious accolade as the most decorated soccer player in history. Throughout his 20-year-long professional career in Europe and the United States, the former Barcelona No. 10 has won 46 titles on the national and international stages, including four UEFA Champions Leagues, two Copa Americas and one FIFA World Cup.

Off the pitch, Messi does a lot of philanthropic work through the Leo Messi Foundation, which supports healthcare and education programs for children. This work led to him being recognized by WhiteHouse.gov as one of the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom honor.

Michael Jordan’s ex-teammate Ron Harper once clashed with fan over NBA debate citing Lionel Messi vs. Pele example

Ron Harper created a niche for himself during his heyday with the Chicago Bulls, but these days, the five-time NBA champion hasn’t been in the news for his play per se but for his tweets. Harper has been vocal when it comes to sharing his opinions, and he has been trolled for posting them on X (formerly Twitter).

In 2021, he got into a back-and-forth clash with a fan who accused him of being "too stubborn to appreciate the modern game.”

The fan used Messi and Brazilian soccer great Pele as an example to argue:

"A toddler could figure out that a game from the early NBA was a lot more unskilled than a game from the modern day. They don’t belong in the same category, but old heads are all the same and too stubborn to appreciate the modern game."

Harper replied, "Ok JACKASS, GO KICK ROCKS ON YOUR COUCH, YOU BUM!!!"

Then the fan hit back, "Don’t be hurt that you're not on their list, Ron. People barely even know who you are! You should just be happy that MJ's Bulls and Kobe’s Lakers did enough to earn you a Wikipedia page. Bum."

Harper replied, "I’m still counting my rings on my fingers while you’re counting rings in your tub."

It’s well-known among the NBA Twitter community that Harper has a preference for older NBA players over modern ones and is a staunch supporter of Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate.