A six-time NBA Champion, five-time NBA Most Valuable Player, and just the tagline of being the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan was a prime example of a basketball god. Everyone knew that once Mike was on the court, they were going to have problems winning against the Chicago Bulls. MJ continues to inspire the current generation of basketball enthusiasts. People claim that Michael’s game was flawless and that he knew everything or every skill there had to be learned.
Michael Jordan……..simply, the GOAT! pic.twitter.com/4Uf90ZHPHy
— The Best (@Figensport) May 13, 2023
The GOAT himself has admitted to facing failure before achieving success. But he was determined to win and be great, which kept him going for several years. Being as successful as he was, everyone tried to break him and strip him of his crown. During the 1996-97 season, former NBA player Darrick Martin was humbled by Jordan. Martin played for the Vancouver Grizzlies (Memphis Grizzlies), a team that wasn’t in its best form at that time.
Martin and his squad were already on a 12-game losing streak. However, he believed he could break Jordan’s spirit. Mike was not having a great game and the Bulls were being dominated by the Grizzlies because of it.
Midway through the game, as the Grizzlies led the Bulls, Martin’s teammate revealed that he said, “Hey Mike! Sh*t’s not falling tonight, Mike! You’re having an off-night, Mike!” MJ never accepted trash talk from anyone. Players knew that if they ever tried to trash talk to His Airness, they were in for a beating.
Michael Jordan humbled Darrick Martin by scoring 19 points in 6 minutes
Darrick Martin and Michael Jordan were familiar with each other, but this did not stop the legend from humbling Martin. When the Bulls returned to the court for the fourth quarter, Mike allegedly told Martin, “Little man, I told you about talking trash to me.” What conspired during the final six minutes of the game was a lesson Martin never forgot.
The Bulls were on track to lose the game and the Grizzlies were having fun at this point. Not until Jordan stepped up to score 19 points halfway through the quarter. Mike had only 9 points until then and the Bulls were trailing by 8 points. MJ was so dominant that he helped Chicago defeat the Grizzlies 99-84.
“I poked the bear that night, and he showed me truly what greatness meant. So that was a learning lesson for me,” Martin told TV personality Aaron Ross in an interview. Needless to say, Jordan helped Martin through his 13-year career in a way. The man himself went on to win a title that season as well. Ultimately, Mike eventually became who he is today, one of the NBA’s greatest ever.
