“I Want the Motherf**kers to Know I’m Never Leaving the Court”: Michael Jordan Left Rockets Legend in Shambles With Just 1 Powerful line

Michael Jordan has always been an intimidating figure; his personality and aura just ooze confidence. Hence, it was never easy being around Michael. From his words to his game, he was always a force to be reckoned with. And a special moment he shared with Kenny Smith proves just that.

Notably, Kenny Smith is a graduate of the same college as Michael Jordan- The UNC. Recently, Kenny Smith, on the All the Smoke podcast, shared an interaction he had with Jordan when he was still a freshman.

Kenny talked about the time when their college gym used to have basketball games where the seniors and pros would split into teams and the freshmen would rarely get a chance to play. But after a week or so, MJ picked Kenny first. Not to mention, MJ himself was a junior at the time.

WATCH THIS STORY: MJ’s greatest stories from UNC days.

“About a week later, Michael was picking, and he was like, ‘I got New York’. They used to call me New York. I was like, oh sh**. I got picked first. There’s 20 pros in the gym. I was like ohh,.. so my confidence was boosted. So now we playing right and we winning. We winning games.

“Every time we went, you know you go get water, I’m watching Mike and he’s standing in the middle of center court. I walk up, I’m like, ‘Mike what are you doing?’ … ‘I want the mother******* to know that I’m never leaving the court. Imma be the first to stand here and last’. I was like aight, we both gonna stay. He was the first dude that I met that could back up his trash,” Kenny narrated the whole incident.

Michael Jordan and Kenny Smith’s time together at UNC

Kenny Smith joined Jordan at UNC when MJ was a junior. The team was the first seed in the pre-season and finished the season as the first seed as well. They had an impressive record of 28–3. Smith averaged 9.1 points and 5.0 assists per game. However, the team lost in the regional semifinals; This was in the 1984 NCAA. 

Also read: Rockets Legend Confesses Being Intimidated by Michael Jordan in College

This was the same year when Jordan was drafted into the NBA. After the departure of Jordan, Smith led North Carolina to the Elite Eight in 1985. But lost to eventual national champion Villanova.

Smith averaged 16.9 points and 6.1 assists per game in 1987. With eleven future NBA players, Smith led the Tar Heels with 25 points and 7 assists, but unfortunately, the game ended in a loss to Syracuse, 79–75. However, this was the start of his NBA career. That was the year (1987) when he got drafted into the NBA. And eventually won 2 consecutive NBA titles some 7 years later.