?Now Michael?s Going to Deny This, but He Cried?: Before His NBA Career, Michael Jordan Was Left Teary Eyed by Harsh Words from Iconic Mentor

The Michael Jordan crying meme has been popular on the internet for years now. The Chicago Bulls legend burst into tears during his 2009 Hall of Fame Enshrinement speech. The legendary NBA player, who has been known to be a tough guy throughout his career, has a soft core within. Although apparently, this wasn’t the first time Jordan burst out crying in front of a bunch of people, as a former teammate revealed through a story with similar instances.

Back in 2016, Sam Perkins narrated how coach Bobby Knight went on to scold MJ so badly that he ended up crying in front of his teammates. This was one of the reasons why Jordan didn’t want to be coached by Knight ever again in the future.

Bobby Knight’s words made Michael Jordan teary-eyed in front of his teammates

In the 1984 Olympics, Jordan had joined Team USA hunting for a gold medal. The legendary Bulls no. 23 wasn’t yet drafted into the NBA at the time. It was His Airness’ first venture into a big competition. According to a CBS report in 2016, Sam Perkins, while speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, decided to divulge information on Knight’s famous temper affecting MJ.

“Bobby Knight, he got after us. He told Michael that’s the worst he ever played,” said Perkins. He further added, “Now Michael’s going to deny this, but he cried. He cried after the game, because of the fact that Bobby Knight told him, ‘You should apologize to everybody in here.’

“But he actually cried,” Perkins added.

The scolding was even more difficult for Jordan as the team just won against Germany. In hindsight, considering the player Jordan would go on to become, the public slamming wasn’t warranted at all.

ALSO READ: Michael Jordan’s Teammates Couldn’t Believe Their Stars …

This might be one of the biggest reasons as to why Jordan didn’t want to return to the Olympic team at one point. His Airness’ experience despite winning a gold medal would be a major contributing factor.

Jordan didn’t want to participate in the 1992 dream team due to a bitter aftertaste

In 1992, NBA players were finally allowed to participate in the Olympics. A decision that excited a lot of fans as they’d finally see the best players playing for the country.?

However, initially, Jordan wasn’t really keen on returning as a player for Team USA. Alongside the reason of fatigue after the NBA season, Jordan was also concerned as his 84′ Olympic campaign was brimming with negative experiences throughout. However, MJ eventually decided against opting out to create the iconic ?Dream Team?.

Watch This Story: What 3 Numbers Did Michael Jordan Wear in His Career?