“To be a Michael Jordan you Had to be Mean”: Lakers Player Makes an Interesting Observation

Los Angeles Lakers’ Danny Green felt San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a close resemblance with Michael Jordan. Out of so many great players that Green played with and against, he picked his former coach.

Popovich, San Antonio Spurs coach for the last 24 years, is the longest-serving active coach in the NBA. He initially started as an assistant coach, working four years with the Spurs and two years with Golden State Warriors. Since starting as the head coach of the Spurs in 1996, the team reached the playoffs in every season except his first. They won five Championships during the period.

Danny Green sees similarities between Popovich and Michael Jordan

Green was a part of Popovich’s Spurs side for eight years. In a recent interview with  ESPN’s Ros Gold-Onwude, Green said that Popivich’s attitude was similar to Jordan’s. Jordan is known for his competitive attitude. As The Last Dance recently showcased, Jordan didn’t ease even against his own teammates. Green felt Popovich was similar to Jordan in that aspect.

“It has to be (Popovich). ‘Cause he doesn’t care about your feelings. To be a Michael Jordan you had to be mean. Not many guys have that. Kobe had it… Rondo, he’s one of those guys, he doesn’t care,” he said.

Green played alongside the likes of Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard. He won a title playing alongside them for the Spurs which was Popovich’s fifth as a coach. He later moved to Toronto Raptors along with Leonard, winning another title there. After only one season with San Antonio, Green joined Los Angeles Lakers to play alongside the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The Lakers were on top of the Western Conference prior to the league’s suspension. They were one of the favorites to win the title this season. But it is still not clear as to whether and when the league would resume. In a recent appearance on ESPN’s First Take, Green said the suspension was a big disadvantage for his team.

“It’s a really big disadvantage,” he said. “We were playing really good basketball, we were rolling, rotating, had good chemistry, and we need that… A break like this can definitely hurt us. Hopefully we can get back into the gym sooner than later and get the ball rolling again.”