The New York Knicks fans have witnessed their team suffer tremendously in recent years. For the greater part of a decade, the franchise has underperformed. The failure to sign big-name free agents in numerous off-seasons has played a pivotal role. The same thing transpired in 1996 when they were on the verge of making the biggest free-agent acquisition in NBA history: Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan was Knicks-killer back in his prime. Some of his best performances came at the Maddison Square Garden, including his infamous “Double-Knickle” game, where he erupted for 55 points. Jordan won 6 NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, the latest of which came in 1998. And to realize that the magnificent championship journey almost halted at 4 in 1996 rather than 6 is mind-boggling.

The Bulls were coming off a historic 72-10 season and their fourth NBA championship in the summer of 1996. Michael Jordan was a free agent, and he was looking forward to getting the money bag through a new one-year contract. NBA legend Patrick Ewing was paid $18 million in the 1995-96 season by the New York Knicks, the highest single-season contract in the league at the time. Jordan was eyeing a massive deal, far bigger than Ewing’s.

READ MORE: Kobe Bryant?s Defensive Arsenal Was Strengthened by NBA Legend Who Locked Up Michael Jordan During Playoffs

Jordan was determined to secure a hefty raise. He had played on an obsolete 8-year, $25 million deal up until that time. The Knicks initiated contact, proposing a record $25 million contract to draw Jordan to New York. Jordan’s agent rang the Bulls and told them they had an hour to beat that figure or he would be on his way to Big Apple. Jordan got what he desired, whether it was a bluff or not.

Chicago countered a $30 million offer, making him the highest-paid athlete in professional sports history. Michael Jordan put pen to paper, and the Chicago Bulls ended up winning their fifth championship that season. If Jordan had agreed to don the orange and white of the Knicks, basketball history would’ve been a lot different.

Patrick Ewing shut down Michael Jordan and his trash talk during their first meet

Patrick Ewing once spoke on the “Dubs Talk” podcast about his first interaction with Michael Jordan. He recalls encountering the Bulls legend at the University of North Carolina campus at Chapel Hill for the first time.

Jordan had already committed to UNC, while Ewing was one of the top prospects. There was a strong chance he might have joined forces with Jordan on the Tar Heels.

?He (Jordan) had already committed, but his sister was there. She wanted to see the school. I think they worked it out so that he would be back there when I?m on my visit,? Ewing said.

Michael Jordan’s trash-talking stories are etched well in the NBA history books. Apparently, he wasted no time and took great pleasure in slinging trash talk toward Patrick Ewing. Jordan claimed that despite his size, Ewing couldn’t dunk on him. That comment led Ewing to respond instantly.

WATCH THIS STORY:?5 best Memes on Chris Paul Choking Yet Again in the NBA Playoffs

“Everyone who knows Michael knows he is the biggest trash talker. So this is my first time meeting him, and he’s talking so much trash to me. You know, like, ‘You can’t dunk on me, or blah, blah, blah. I’m in street clothes, he’s in his gym clothes. I’m like, OK. So I get the ball, and I go up, and I dunked on him. I said, now you can shut the blank?up.”

Whether or not Ewing’s account is legitimate, that moment may have been the only occasion Ewing topped Jordan in college. Later that year, UNC overcame Ewing’s Georgetown to capture the NCAA championship, owing to Jordan’s game-winning jumper. The Bulls legend always had the overwhelming superiority in NBA when facing Ewing and the Knicks.

Ewing and Jordan, despite all this, developed a deep rapport. They even became teammates for a brief period of time when they were members of the Dream Team.