The journey of Michael Jordan as arguably the greatest player of all time was a tough road. And the opponents who gave him the toughest time were the Detroit Pistons. Jordan spent years going up against the Pistons, and he finally overcame them and started his reign. And his coaches were mightily impressed with the beating that he took every night and still wanted to get up.

When Jordan came into his prime, his team became instant contenders. But there was one other team in the East who were built to stop Jordan. And that was the Pistons led by the Hall of Famer, Isiah Thomas.

Until 1990, the Bulls faced the Pistons three times in the playoffs and they beat them every single time. And Jordan used to pay a toll each time. The Pistons implemented the ‘Jordan Rules’ strategy which was used to limit his impact on the game. And they would play him tough, make him exert his energy, challenge him physically and throw multiple defenders and defenses to get off stride.

Michael Jordan stunned his coaches by wanting to go again despite the heavy toll

The Pistons used to rough Jordan up and back in the day, the rules were not as strict as they were today. The Piston employed this to perfection, and Jordan would feel the impact. He would be extremely fatigued and tired at the end of games. And often he would risk injury and some say that he would have cuts and bruises.

READ MORE: Billionaire Michael Jordan Still Breaking NBA Records Without Even Playing With Whopping $10.1 Million Sale

But despite all this, Jordan would gear up and go again. His coaches were stunned by this. One of them said, ” Michael Jordan, I don’t know how he’s done it all year long. I mean 6′ 6″, 195 pounds, and the beating that he takes every single night. I compare him to the old gunslingers’ in the west… You got to go out and prove yourself every single day.”

Jordan willed himself to the limit and would not worry about the toll he would take. And in the end, he prevailed.

When his Scottie Pippen came of age, the Bulls were able to sweep past the Pistons and they never looked back. They won six titles in eight years and Jordan cemented his place at the top.

WATCH THIS STORY: Stephen Curry’s 2k ratings over the years?