The most compelling viewing in the sports world right now is Iceman: A George Gervin Story. The legendary superstar with a combined 14 seasons in the ABA and NBA was a walking preamble to the one and only Michael Jordan. By many NBA veterans’ accounts, Gervin passed the torch to His Airness.

Jordan once didn’t want to be his teammate but he’s changed his mind now. MJ has stars in his eyes while speaking about his one-time teammate. Now, he’s the best mentor any NBA star could ask for. In the past, his wisdom was saved only for His Airness.

Michael Jordan beams over teaming up with a prime Iceman

When the Chicago Bulls picked Michael Jordan in 1984, George “The Iceman” Gervin was in his 12th professional year. The Bulls signed Gervin for the 1985-86 season. He’d play in Europe after that before retiring in 1990, right before MJ took the Bulls to their first championship. If you ask Jordan today, they could’ve won the title a lot sooner with George Gervin on the team.

“If I could’ve had George in his prime, alongside of me, we would’ve presented problems. Knowing that I was capable of scoring 40-50 points and so was George,” Jordan said about Gervin recently.

Gervin was an outstanding small forward in his prime, just like Scottie Pippen. The difference between them, MJ was happy to have Pippen on the Bulls roster. When the franchise acquired “The Iceman” in 1986, Jordan said on the record, “I have no comment on the trade. Just say I am unhappy.” No one told young Jordan that’s not what ‘no comment’ means.

Chicago news outlets reported tensions between young Jordan and senior Gervin regularly. The team was confident he had a few good seasons left in him. Gervin even had a season-high 45-point game with Chicago and played all 82 games.

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After George Gervin, the Bulls acquired Scottie Pippen in 1987. By both former friends’ accounts, their on-court chemistry was instantaneous. Jordan insisted on keeping The Pip on the team and was happy when a trade fell through.

We know what soured Jordan and Pippen’s friendship. But how did Jordan and Gervin’s relationship improve?

George Gervin saw the future through MJ

As the NBA archivists pointed out in the clip, Gervin felt slower with age, though he put out good numbers. “The Iceman” once held MJ to only 9 points in a game but he felt the NBA was evolving faster than he could keep up.

He observed Jordan who was an All-Star and Rookie of the Year when they were teammates and was impressed by his dominant play in only his second year. “He played just as hard in practice as he did in the basketball game,” Gervin once said about Jordan. “I saw potential in him. It was scary..”

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George Gervin didn’t predict Jordan would be a legend but felt honored that his career started with Julius Erving and ended with Michael Jordan.