Interesting Quotes/Comments from the Dream Team book

[Da_Realist]

All comments posted come from Jack McCallum's Dream Team book.

MJ's influence on Scottie

I'm not going to say Michael made him. That's too strong because Scottie had a lot of game. But if Scottie plays with another guy, I'm not sure whether it's not just the gifts that wouldn't have come out, but also the drive. -- Chris Mullin


Why Bird was needed

You tell me this. What other forward in the league can shoot from the outside, pass the basketball, rebound, get the break started, play team defense, and has been as much of a winner as Larry Bird? I don't care how many injuries he's had and how old he is. Tell me who's as good all-around as Larry Bird from the forward position. -- Jordan


On Bulls early struggles with chemistry

To me, our team was always about chemistry and we never could develop chemistry because of Michael. He didn't believe in his teammates. It was hard for us. We got accused of standing and looking because he would always...do the Kobe." (He means showing visible anger to his teammates, as the Lakers' Kobe Bryant often does.) When Phil came, it made all the difference to Michael. Phil convinced him to believe in his teammates, and I think I was the first one Michael really trusted. We didn't have to worry about Michael coming down and pulling up one-on-five. We could just play.
Look, there was pressure on Michael. Obviously. But it always turned out good for Michael, win, lose or draw. He was getting the headlines no matter what happened -- 'Jordan scores 35 or 40 or whatever, and the team didn't back him up. Michael did this but the team didn't do that.' That's how it was for a long time. -- Pippen


Who's the leader?

So far as leading the team out, talking to the press, representing us, all that stuff, it was Magic. But once we got in the gym? It was all Michael. -- Mullin

Michael was the leader. Yeah, Magic said all the things that Magic says. But Michael is Michael. We knew who the real leader was. -- Ewing


You weren't open

The one thing that drove Stockton to distraction on the court was when a teammate would tell him, "Hey, I was open but you didn't give it to me." And Stockton would say: "No you weren't open. Just because no one seemed to be guarding you, that doesn't mean you were open, because you couldn't do anything with the ball if you got it."


What it was like to play on the Dream Team

Playing with these guys on the Dream Team was basketball heaven. It was like someone would run to the spot and, upon getting there, the ball would be there. Guys made reciprocal moves. It was basketball poetry. There was no place you could throw the ball that was wrong. -- Stockton


Clyde vs MJ

Portland-based broadcaster Steve "Snapper" Jones, a delightful man who loved to talk basketball and debate any question, was especially vocal about Drexler being the equal of Jordan. Rod Thorn, conjuring up his best West Virginia drawl, used to say to him" "Steve, d'y'all have TVs out there in Portland?"

"Are you kidding? In my mind? Jordan was damn good, but was he better than me?" Drexler ponders that for a moment and answers this way: "The question is not really is he better. The question is, do you think you can win against him? And the answer is absolutely. I had a lot of success against Jordan. I beat him often. At his game. Which is also my game. I was bigger, faster. I did everything he could do." Drexler stops and smiles. "Except shoot more." -- Drexler

I wanted to go against Clyde every change I could back then. When we played in the Finals, we were being compared, and I wanted to show there was a big difference between me and him. I knew how to think the game. I knew how to play different varieties of the game. clyde plays one way -- head down, drive straight to the hole. Big difference. -- Jordan


Missed opportunity

Magic should've had what I had. The way I was presented out there from a PR standpoint, marketing-wise, he was never portrayed like I was away from basketball. With fewer credentials, at least of basketball championships, I got more than he did. Is that fair? No. But I didn't have control of it. He should've had the Wheaties, the big deals before me, but he didn't. -- Jordan


Last thoughts on The Scrimmage

In many ways, it was the best game I was ever in. Because the gym was locked and it was just about basketball. You saw a lot of players' DNA in games like that, how much some guys want to win. Magic was mad about it for two days. -- Jordan

Michael understood that because that's how he was, too. Let me tell you something -- it would've been worse for everybody if he lost. Because I could let something go after a while. But Michael? He never let it go. He never let anything go. -- Magic


Difference between being rich and being wealthy

They did take up the offer of Miami Heat Owner Micky Arison for an afternoon on his yacht. When they arrived, they were informed that the air-conditioning was down, so Arison was bringing over his other yacht. "That was a valuable day for me, a lesson in life. The difference between being rich and being wealthy. The man had a backup yacht. I never forgot that. -- Magic


Who's the best?

Of all the Dream Teamers, though. Laettner came closest to paying Barkley the ultimate compliment. When I made the casual comment that everyone believed that Jordan was the best, Laettner pursed his lips for a minute and considered, "I guess. But by a very, very small margin over Charles"

"Hey Charles, who's the best two-guard in the world?" and Barkley would answer, "That would be Michael Jordan." Then Barkley would ask, "And who's the best power forward in the world?" and Jordan would answer, "That would be Charles Wade Barkley." It was their own little poke at Drexler and Malone.

Daly never tipped his hand that he favored one starting team over another, but privately he knew that his three most important players were Jordan, Pippen and Barkley. Barkley was important because he could always score, no matter what the opponent, no matter what the situation. He didn't have to depend at all on the vicissitudes of outside shooting -- Charles would simply plow his way to the basket and get in position for an easy score. Jordan and Pippen were key because they could both cover the floor on defense and initiate the offense, either as shooters or as distributors. And there was a subset even within that subset. "Give me Michael and Scottie," Daly would tell his confidants, "and it really doesn't matter who else is out there."


96 "Dream Team"

"I was just amazed at some of the things that went on. We had a couple of guys skip practice because they didn't get to start and didn't play as many minutes as they thought they should. Can you imagine that? Michael Jordan didn't start some games in '92. Michael freaking Jordan!" Barkley wouldn't name the players, but they were Shaq and Penny Hardaway

In some press reports Hakeem Olajuwon was presented as the model teammate on the '96 squad. Pippen said that wasn't the case. "Penny and Hakeem...there's two guys who will whine when things don't go their way. Hakeem got mad at Lenny because he didn't play against Greece. 'I've never had a DNP in my life!' he was shouting at Lenny. He was so mad that tears were coming out of his eyes. I'm telling you, it was bad. I enjoyed Atlanta, I guess, but it wasn't the same. And it wasn't a Dream Team."

[Da_Realist]

Doberman defense

Defensively, we did it together. I can't take the credit and he can't take the credit. In '91 I got some credit for defending Magic, but Michael defended him, too. We wore Magic down together. See, we had good defensive chemistry. We had areas on the court where we just knew we were going to trap. We didn't even talk about it. We let them cross half-court and get them in that corner. Or on an inbounds play, if a guy caught it at a certain spot, we knew we had him nailed. Or on our way up court, Michael would stop his guy, I would come, and we would catch him there. We were always in tune of how to double-team the ball -- Pippen

I remember watching how Michael and Scottie played together. Michael would always play the point guard and put pressure on him, and I'd just be sitting there watching. Then Scottie would come, and next thing you know they've turned the guy and he would just throw the ball over his head. Anywhere. Just to get rid of it. The pressure that Michael put on these kids? Man, I could've got fifteen steals a game if I played with him.
You know, winning by forty isn't fun. Maybe to some guys but not to this team. But watching Michael and Scottie together out there, suckering these guys into a corner, or right before the half court line...that was fun. -- Bird


Trash Talk

Jordan and Magic were particularly ruthless toward Barkley, who might sit down to join them only to hear, "Sorry, Charles, this is a ring table." Magic would say something similar to Barkley or Ewing when he and Bird shot around together. "This is a ring basket."

Michael never let me forget that I couldn't beat him. Michael never let me forget anything. Michael has been talking trash from the first day I met
him at age seventeen, and he's never stopped. Hell, yeah, it bothers me that I never beat him. And I gotta hear it from him every day I see him. 'You didn't beat me in college, and you didn't beat me in the NBA. You're out of chances, Patrick.' That's the kind of shit I gotta hear from him until my dying days." -- Ewing

"I used to tell them, 'Let me play on your team and you play on mine. Let me play with Cap, Worthy, Byron Scott and A.C. Green, and you play with my team, and let's see how many rings you'd have.' Or, 'Let me have Scottie. See how you do then.' That would shut them up real quick." -- Drexler


MJ's energy

On the night before the United States was to play Croatia for the gold medal, the card game in the Coolest Room in the World was especially animated. All the regulars were there, including Jordan, who was scheduled to do a video shoot the next morning for NBA Entertainment. It was not a small thing, a commitment of several hours for what wold become MICHAEL JORDAN: AIR TIME. To be honest, I can't separate one Jordan video from another, but they were big deals in the sports world, exquisitely produced moneymakers.
This was classic Jordan -- commit to something, let it hang in the air for as long as possible while the other party goes apoplectic with anxiety, then pull it off at the last moment, like a buzzer-beating jump shot. Magic does things the same way.
It was one in the morning, then two, then three. Jordan was smoking his phallic stogies and the guys were ripping on one another, and Don Sperling of NBA Entertainment was circling the edge of the group like an overwrought den mother, trying to remind Jordan about the morning shoot and how Michael should also figure in the small matter of, you know, the gold medal game that night. Then it was four o'clock, then it was five. The players knew that this was the last card game, for the team was leaving Barcelona as soon as the gold medal had been secured and the arena celebration dispensed with. This round of tonk was something special, a ceremony of sorts, a parting of ways before they all became enemies again.
At six-fifteen the game finally broke up. Sperling followed Jordan to one of his two rooms (a Jordan perk), where Jordan was to take a shower.
"Don't crash on me, Michael." Sperling begged.
"I told you I'll be out," said Jordan, "so I'll be out."
True to his word, Jordan reemerged twenty-five minutes later, showered, bald head glistening, decked out in a bright, orange-tinted shorts set that made him look like a Zambian exchange student.
And for the next several hours the crew followed him through Barcelona, filming on the streets and at the Olympic Stadium. "What you have to understand is that it's ninety-six degrees and 100 percent humidity and he had no sleep." said Sperling. "And when you see that video, he looks as fresh as if he'd just gotten out of bed after eight hours."
When they were finished, in mid afternoon, Jordan asked for a favor.
"Could you take me to the golf course?" he said. "My clubs are out there and I'm going to try to get in a round."
Jordan played eighteen holes at the Real Club de Golf El Prat on the outskirts of Barcelona, as he did most days, got a ride back to the hotel, went to his room, changed, waded through the crowds at the Ambassador (they had only gotten larger as the Games went on), climbed aboard the team bus, and, eight years after his first, went off in search of his second gold medal.
"Michael tried to get me on his schedule over there, and I just couldn't do it." Magic says today. "I got so I could play cards all night, and so did some of the other guys. But then to go out and play eighteen, thirty-six holes of golf? Then come back and get 20 in the game like it's nothing? Man, nobody
could do that. Michael Jordan is the strongest, and the strongest-willed, athlete ever. I don't care what anybody says."

He'd play thirty-six holds of golf, and we'd be heading to the bus and here comes Michael with his clubs. But he'd be back two minutes later ready to play. The energy that man had...never saw anything like it. That's why, when Magic started talking, deep down, he had to know Michael had passed us. I mean, Michael was the best player in our league before Barcelona. I had no problem with it. I had my run. I said to Magic, you gotta be out of your mind if you think you can still compete with this guy. Let it go, man, let it go. Compete against him like you're going to kick his ass, bur realize it's his time. -- Bird


Lasting Impressions

When those guys honed in on their competitors, you could just forget it. That time they were watching films of Kukoc? You could've walked in front of Michael and Scottie a thousand times and their eyelashes would've never moved. -- Karl Malone

You'd see Karl's physique during the season, but until you're with him you don't realize that it's not an accident. I started working out with Karl during the Dream Team, and that really pushed me. -- Pippen

Karl Malone was a great player, but he could not play without John Stockton. John was his left hand to Karl's right. That's how important he was. That's how important some teammates can be to others. -- Jordan

The Spurs had not been a championship team at the point when I went to Barcelona so what I wanted to pick up on was, what do you need to do to be a leader, to lift your team up? And I took that commitment and focus back to San Antonio. Sure, I did the physical and mental work, but those guys made me understand that you have to require the same thing of everyone around you. You have to demand excellence from your teammates or you will not win a championship. -- David Robinson commenting on observing Magic's/Bird's/Jordan's leadership

[get these NETS]

JORDAN says

"in the pickup games..which ever team had laetnner lost..HE was the weakest link"




Coach K says about Jordan

"He's as great a leader,competitor there is but (in dealing with teammates).he's incapable of being kind"

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taken in context....NC Duke is and always has been a BIG rivalry, so keep that in mind

[andgar923]

Great stuff, thanks!!

Did you copy this from somewhere or did you buy the book and typed it out?

If you did the later even more props to you.

[get these NETS]

alleged comment by Ewing about Bird


Ewing on phone with his friends from back home (he grew up around Boston)

"remember that shit we used to talk about Bird...I was wrong.. THAT MFer is the Truth"

[andgar923]

Btw.... Clyde is hating on MJ when he says "give me Scottie"

He wouldn't have molded Pip like MJ did (not close) and he HAD a better team throughout most of his career!!!

The Blazers were stacked, way more than the Bulls were. You could switch teams from even when Pip was molded into a great player and they still wouldn't have won shit.

MJ was simply a better player and a better leader case closed.

[get these NETS]

Great stuff, thanks!!

Did you copy this from somewhere or did you buy the book and typed it out?

If you did the later even more props to you.

don't know what OP did but mine are from memory..borrowed book from public library ....


this book has some of the best quotes......I can remember from a sports book....basically the highest level of trash talk there is

"you can't sit here..this is a ring table"

NOTHING tops that....




BARKLEY

after being teased for not having a ring

"I'm gonna steal one from you one of these years Mike"


Barkley got Jordan with some REAL good jabs.....he said money made jordan a "sex symbol"..if you were a plumber nobody would ever call you good looking"

[DuMa]

Michael never let me forget that I couldn't beat him. Michael never let me forget anything. Michael has been talking trash from the first day I met
him at age seventeen, and he's never stopped. Hell, yeah, it bothers me that I never beat him. And I gotta hear it from him every day I see him. 'You didn't beat me in college, and you didn't beat me in the NBA. You're out of chances, Patrick.' That's the kind of shit I gotta hear from him until my dying days." -- Ewing

Harsh stuff, MJ. harsh

[andgar923]

don't know what OP did but mine are from memory..borrowed book from public library ....


this book has some of the best quotes......I can remember from a sports book....basically the highest level of trash talk there is

"you can't sit here..this is a ring table"

NOTHING tops that....




BARKLEY

after being teased for not having a ring

"I'm gonna steal one from you one of these years Mike"


Barkley got Jordan with some REAL good jabs.....he said money made jordan a "sex symbol"..if you were a plumber nobody would ever call you good looking"

Good stuff.

Since we're on the subject of trash talking and although a completely different sport, I just remembered my fav trash talking moment of all time.

Deion Sanders as a 49er in the Super Bowl pointing at the scoreboard to a wanna be trash talker.

[Shepseskaf]

Thanks for posting! Very, very interesting stuff.

I have to go get this book.

[General]

Jordan circle jerk.

[mobbdeep]

great post!!!! Love the quotes.

I like how Stockton said u weren't open if u were because u were not gonna do anything with the ball. classic

[juju151111]

great post!!!! Love the quotes.

I like how Stockton said u weren't open if u were because u were not gonna do anything with the ball. classic

True PG

[get these NETS]

Chuck Daley

"give me Michael, Scottie, and Barkely"..doesn't matter who else we have


Larry Bird

"Ewing and I are over here picking each other's brains..took me 2 minutes to pick his"

[get these NETS]

Good stuff.

Since we're on the subject of trash talking and although a completely different sport, I just remembered my fav trash talking moment of all time.

Deion Sanders as a 49er in the Super Bowl pointing at the scoreboard to a wanna be trash talker.

that was the Steve Young getting monkey off his back superbowl...they blew out the chargers?

so anybody talking or barking on san diego was a clown..


oh yeah Deion took it to a notch that you couldn't top..Never read any of his quotes but in that era...for niners....he'd intercept the ball.....stadium would start rocking as he returns it.....he high steps into the end zone and then looks up at the sky and start praising his creator.

it's OVER after that..

NO way your team gets momentum back after that