In the world of sports, the name “Michael Jordan” immediately brings some images to mind.

Some will remember his astonishing skills, whether it was sky-walking dunks, clutch game-winners or the sheer scale of his trophy case. Others will associate MJ with his inner fire. He was always compelled to win and pushed himself to reach the top of the mountain. Trash talk, for better or worse, was simply part of the game.

Jordan was the whole package, and that reality didn’t change when he retired. Just ask Gerald Henderson about that.

Ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic published a piece sharing memories from MJ’s time as the Charlotte Hornets’ majority owner. And, buried within that piece, Henderson shared an unforgettable memory about the time His Airness joined a practice to teach the team a lesson.

Michael Jordan, majority owner of the then-Charlotte Bobcats, yells at a referee after a call during their game against the Brooklyn Nets on November 20, 2013, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jordan wasn’t reluctant to trash-talk his own players.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Jordan Schooled His Team and Talked Some Trash

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While Jordan was a serial winner during his time on the NBA hardwood, things were a bit different after he hung up his sneakers. Charlotte struggled, especially during the franchise’s early days as the Bobcats, and that didn’t always sit well with MJ.

Take, for example, one difficult stretch during the 2009-10 campaign.

“We were getting our ass kicked for about a week,” Henderson recalled. “I show up to the training room the next morning. I was a rookie so I had to get my stuff out of the way first, and he’s already in there stretching and he’s got practice gear on.

“I said, ‘What are you about to do, man?’ He said, ‘I’m gonna come up there and kick y’all ass.’ He’s in there talking s*** for however long.”

MJ didn’t just join the practice, though. He suited up with the second team and squared off against the starters in a scrimmage. And even though Father Time had taken his toll, the legendary star still put in the work.

“He looked like prime Michael Jordan, without the quickness and the jumping ability,” Henderson said. “But it was just all MJ work. Talking smack the whole time.”

A lot of that chatter, it seems, focused on Stephen Jackson. According to Henderson, the swingman felt he should have been an All-Star the year before and made those feelings known to the press. And, during the scrimmage, Jackson felt he was fouled but didn’t get the call. He also expressed his displeasure about that.

Then Jordan went in for the kill.

“MJ comes down and hits the game-winner,” Henderson said. “Game’s over and Jack is still talking, ‘That’s a foul.’ Jordan goes, ‘The MFer ain’t never been an All-Star but wants all the All-Star calls.’ We was like, ‘Oh, s***. Damn, that was a little harsh.'”

Jordan Also Showed a Kinder Side in Charlotte

Given that story and His Airness’s pop-cultural presence—the miniseries The Last Dance, for example, showed the challenges of running with the Bulls—it’s easy to think that Jordan was unilaterally mean to those around him. The Athletic’s piece, however, suggests that isn’t the case.

While Henderson’s story did focus on some trash talk, other memories showed MJ’s softer side.

“When I was there the first time, he was around a lot. He would come into practices,” Ramon Sessions remembered. “After coach talked, he would come in and he would talk basketball with us. He would try to joke around and, you know, play with one-on-one, two-on-two, different things like that with the team. So it was always just good having him around, man.”

Others remembered how Jordan was quick to send a personal text message, whether it was about basketball or the loss of a loved one.

And then there was gear. Even beyond Jordan Brand apparel, Mike was apparently willing to share the wealth.

“He sent us boxes of, like, his old clothes and stuff,” Cody Martin recalled. “He just is a cool dude…but he’s also just a regular dude at the same time too. He does what everybody else does. He might do it a little bit more lavish than we do.”

Did playing for Jordan’s team come with some pressure? Sure, but those who could handle the heat reaped the rewards of working with a living legend.

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.