Bulls players were on edge and 'scared' of Michael Jordan because of how ruthless he could be

• Several former Chicago Bulls players elaborated during "The Last Dance" how they were afraid of Michael Jordan and on edge around him.
• Jordan's intensity and competitiveness are well-known, with many former teammates saying he wasn't nice, could be an "a--hole," and often crossed the line.
• However, many also agreed that Jordan's methods and motivations worked, as it made them tougher and ready for the intensity of the playoffs.
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Michael Jordan's competitiveness and occasional ruthlessness were well-known, even before ESPN's docuseries "The Last Dance."

But in Episode 7 of the series, Chicago Bulls teammates gave a glimpse at just how intense Jordan was and how far he would push teammates to try to get to his level of preparation.

"Every time we played good and were winning games, everything was OK," former Bulls forward Toni Kukoc said. "But everybody was always on alert around Michael after a bad game."

"People were afraid of him. We were his teammates, and we were afraid of him!" former forward Jud Buechler said. "It was just fear."

Jordan primarily motivated his teammates through trash talk and criticism. In addition to belittling teammates, he often provoked them, sometimes with physical play. The series showed several behind-the-scenes clips from the 1997-98 season of Jordan taunting reserve forward Scott Burrell, with Jordan later admitting he tried to provoke Burrell into fighting him. Jordan said he was never able to get a rise out of Burrell because he was too "nice."

"My mentality was to go out and win at any cost," Jordan said in the series. "If you don't wanna live that regimented mentality, then you don't belong aside of me, because I'm going to ridicule you until you get on the same level with me. And if you don't get on the same level, then it's gonna be hell for you."

"His theory was, if you can't handle pressure from me, you're not gonna be able to handle the pressure of the NBA playoffs," Steve Kerr said.

Jordan famously punched Kerr in the face during a practice after Kerr retaliated with a push to Jordan's chest. Bulls head coach Phil Jackson had to kick Jordan out of practice. Jordan admitted in the documentary to feeling bad about it and calling Kerr to apologize.

"He'd get feisty in a practice and maybe get up against people. I'd have to talk a little bit about toning it down and make amends and keep that level of team camaraderie," Jackson said.

However, Kerr has said several times that the incident was the best thing for their relationship, as Kerr proved himself to Jordan by not backing down.

Kerr elaborated on Bill Simmons' podcast in 2019 about the fear factor Jordan instilled in teammates.

"You were scared to death of him," Kerr told Simmons. "He was the most dominant force on the floor in every regard. It wasn't just the talent — it was the force of will. People, opponents were defeated by Michael before they even walked on the floor.

"So it was unbelievable to be on his team, to be his teammate. And you had to accept that responsibility. You knew he was going to be harsh on you. You knew he was going to be tough on you, was going to talk trash to everybody in practice, test you."

Kerr added of Jordan's methods: "It made perfect sense. He was right!"

"The Last Dance" director Jason Hehir told reporters before the series that Jordan said people would hate him when they saw the documentary.

Several other Bulls players came to the same conclusion as Kerr, saying Jordan's methods worked.

"He was an a--hole, he was a jerk, he crossed the line numerous times," former center Will Perdue said. "But as time goes on, you think back about what he was actually trying to accomplish, you're like, 'He was a hell of a teammate.'"

"Was he a nice guy?" former guard B.J. Armstrong said, shrugging. "He couldn't have been nice. With that kind of mentality he had, you can't be a nice guy."

Jordan grew emotional during the series while discussing his intense desire to win.

"Winning has a price," Jordan said. "And leadership has a price. I tried to pull people along when they didn't want to be pulled. I challenged people when they don't wanna be challenged."

He added: "It is who I am. That's how I play the game. That was my mentality. If you don't wanna play that way, don't play that way."

• Read more:
• Michael Jordan let out his most genuine laugh of 'The Last Dance' after Gary Payton said his defense tired out Jordan in the 1996 Finals
• Michael Jordan was inspired to crush the Sonics in the Finals after coach George Karl snubbed him while out at dinner
• Michael Jordan's final conversation with his dad before his tragic death prompted his decision to retire and play baseball
• How Steve Kerr went from a role player on Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls to building a dynasty of his own as head coach of the Golden State Warriors

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