"When you start endangering people's health, it's taking away from the beauty of the game" - Michael Jordan criticized how the Pistons and the Knicks played the game
"When you start endangering people's health, it's taking away from the beauty of the game" - Michael Jordan criticized how the Pistons and the Knicks played the game originally appeared on Basketball Network.
By the early '90s, Michael Jordan was already a household name in the greatest basketball league in the world, but his road to the top wasn't paved with flowers and open lanes to the bucket.
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Back then, the NBA was a war zone, especially if you tried to make a living attacking the rim. During a 1993 interview with Larry King, MJ broke down just how brutal the game had become and why, despite the chaos, he never backed down. It wasn't just basketball; it was survival of the fittest.
"I think it's part of the game, but I think when you start endangering people's health, it's taking away from the beauty of the game. I think the game should be played hard, but you should show sportsmanship, I think you should not show hatred or anger to the other people. I don't think anyone should be afraid of going to the hole and a lot of guys are getting to that point where they are afraid of going to the hole," Jordan disclosed in his first post-retirement interview.
Detroit started the overly physical trend
When the Detroit Pistons created the infamous "Jordan Rules," they didn't try to hide their approach and intent to hurt Mike. They were going to hit him, shove him, drag him to the ground — anything to break his rhythm and get in his head. And for a while, it worked. Jordan kept getting bounced out of the playoffs, outmuscled and outnumbered by the Bad Boys team that played with "bad intentions" and zero apologies.
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But His Airness didn't flinch. He bulked up, adjusted his game, and leaned into the contact instead of avoiding it. He saw the hits coming and still took flight.
"No! Never! I mean I had to live that way, that's how I make the living," the six-time Champ replied in a typical Jordan-esque way when asked if he was afraid of bruising his way to the rim.
That's what separated him. While many feared the consequences of entering the paint against those Detroit teams, Jordan welcomed it. That stretch of beatdowns didn't scare him off; it just made him better. MJ got stronger, both physically and mentally. Once the Chicago Bulls finally got past their arch-nemesis in 1991, the floodgates opened and what followed was a pure show of basketball domination.
Related: "I don't think I should defend myself anymore, I'm done with that in my life" - Allen Iverson on why he's had enough trying to defend his public image
The Knicks wanted to emulate that same physicality
Detroit wasn't the only team playing demolition ball. The New York Knicks soon adopted a similar playbook. Heck, even Jordan himself acknowledged that the squad from the Big Apple tried to copy Bad Boys the most.
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Pat Riley's Knicks were bigger, stronger and sometimes even dirtier. Whether it was Charles Oakley, Xavier McDaniel or John Starks, everyone had the green light to take a shot — literally and figuratively — at MJ anytime he stepped into the lane.
"What was happening was, because of the Detroit Pistons and the way they won, a lot of teams were trying to use that brutal type of play — the physical play. The Knicks were one of those teams who were built on intimidation, players who tried to physically demean you or make you scared of them," the legendary Bulls guard once said.
Jordan never let the bruises change his approach or style. That would've meant he was beaten and if there's one thing we know about Mr. Air, it's the fact that he never wanted to lose at anything.
So, he embraced the chaos, elevated through it and built a legacy on defying fear. The hits kept coming, but so did the buckets. In the end, greatness always found a way through the pain. Even though he might not have liked it at first, it made him who he is.
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Related: "I can't get so close to it, too, because of my competitive nature" - Michael Jordan on why he can't get himself to be a fan of any one player in the NBA
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
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