?I Ain?t No Garbage Player?: Bulls Teammate Once Pounced Upon Michael Jordan After Overhearing Conversations With Scottie Pippen

NBA all-time great Michael Jordan was a nightmare for his opponents throughout his career. However, sometimes, the same can be said for his teammates as well. The six-time NBA champion has had a few altercations with his teammates and has a reputation for pushing his teammates too much with his comments. While he would argue he did what he did to win, not everyone would agree. Some of his bust-ups with his teammates over the years have made the headlines as well.

The four-time MVP had major flare-ups with his Chicago Bulls teammates like Steve Kerr, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, and so forth. While these made the headlines, some did not. Including an incident with Craig Hodges.

Craig Hodges was not happy with Michael Jordan

In 1998, Craig Hodges signed with the Chicago Bulls. In one instance, a comment from Michael Jordan did not sit well with Hodges. The Jordan Rules book by author Sam Smith revealed the incident between MJ and Hodges. The incident happened after an easy 155-127 win over the Phoenix Suns. As the win was assured, the starting five sat out most of the fourth quarter. As per the book, Jordan said to Scottie Pippen that he hates playing with reserves and referred to them as “garbage players” after the win.

He complained the players did not pass him the ball. Hodges overheard the comment and was not happy. The author noted, “Hodges overheard the exchange. Though not a great overall talent, he took pride in his role. “Hey, I ain’t no garbage player,” he told Jordan. “I was playing in this league when you were still trying to figure out how to put your pants on.””

READ MORE – When Scottie Pippen Openly Challenged Michael Jordan and Instantly Regretted It at Practice: ?Slow Up, Man?

Jordan immediately stated that he was not talking about Hodges. Even though the flare-up cooled up a bit the tension remained noted Smith.

The San Diego Clippers drafted Craig Hodges as the 48th overall pick in the 1982 NBA draft. He had been a decent player in rotation ever since his professional debut. In four seasons with the Bulls, he came off the bench and helped the team win two titles. He was one of the best three-point shooters as well.

Jordan accused his teammate of leaking information

The Jordan Rules book revealed many interesting details about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The book disclosed many incidents that happened in the locker room. So Michael Jordan was convinced the information was leaked by one of his teammates. In The Last Dance docuseries, Jordan accused former teammate Horace Grant of leaking information to author Sam Smith.

WATCH THIS STORY – ?Sheesh. Team Hendrick Take Some Notes?: Michael Jordan?s NASCAR Team Unveils Major Upgrade as Bubba Wallace & Co. Gear up for Critical Season

MJ and Grant did not have a good relationship during their time with the Bulls. Grant dismissed his claims and in turn called Jordan out for “snitching”. In the docuseries, Jordan talked about seeing his teammates doing drugs when he first came into the league. Grant referred to this as “snitching”.