Michael Jordan knew he had to get his mojo back first before making his return to the NBA in 1995. True to form, the Chicago Bulls star rejoined the team’s practice sessions and worked tirelessly.
I made him work for everything” – Michael Jordan faced the player who replaced him in Chicago ahead of his 1995 NBA return
After scrimmages, Jordan stayed in the gym to do some shooting drills and 1-on-1 games with Pete Myers, the backup shooting guard known to many as the guy who replaced MJ in 1993. To this day, the Alabama native still vividly recalls his duels with “His Airness.” As any other player would, Myers takes pride in helping the GOAT get his rhythm back.
“I made him work for everything, pushed him every day,” Myers told Bleacher Report in 2015 of his 1-on-1 games with Jordan.
Jordan torched Pete
Myers started in 91 of the 92 games of his debut season with the Bulls as Jordan’s replacement. During the regular season, he averaged a career-best eight points per game and logged seven a night in the playoffs. In all fairness, Pete did quite alright for a player who had been a backup his entire career.
Scroll to Continue
Recommended Articles
OLD SCHOOL
“I don’t know if I met another person like that in my life” – Paul Pierce recalls meeting Michael Jordan for the first time
MAR 11, 2024
OLD SCHOOL
Patrick Ewing explains why he would pick Michael Jordan over LeBron: “He’s thinking he’s going to score 50 on you then he’s gonna pass”
MAR 3, 2024
OLD SCHOOL
“He felt Dennis was the MVP of that team” – Phil Jackson says Jordan thought Rodman deserved more credit for the Bulls’ second three-peat
MAR 9, 2024
However, whatever confidence Myers had in his game at the time, there was still no chance that he would get the better of Jordan in a 1-on-1 game. And unsurprisingly, he was well aware of it.
“C’mon, I didn’t have a chance,” Myers admitted. “Mike could run off 12 straight buckets.”
“He still knew personnel, he knew how coaches were going to try to guard him—he knew all that,” he added. “He was just trying to get himself ready for the battle, just fine-tuning himself to get ready. He had reworked his body and gotten his upper body much stronger because he was trying to hit for power, so his timing was a little off.”
Pete understood what MJ had to deal with
Bulls head coach Phil Jackson was confident about Myers’ aptitude. But of course, he never expected the journeyman to do what Jordan does for the Bulls. About a week into his job as MJ’s replacement, Myers already understood how difficult it was to fill the shoes of the best player in the league.
“Now I understand what Michael went through,” Myers reflected. “But he went through that every day for 10 years. I only got it for a week.”
After several intense practices, Jordan was finally able to return in 1995. As for Myers, he went on to play for the Bulls until the end of the 1994-95 season. He then left Chicago for the Miami Heat in the summer, realizing there was no substitute for the GOAT.
Ex-Bulls and Wizards coach Doug Collins reveals the “one thing” people don’t know about Michael Jordan
Read More
NBAMICHAEL JORDANCHICAGO BULLS
BY JOHN JEFFERSON TAN
John is a storyteller who has a penchant for old-school stuff and pretty much every unfathomable story waiting to be told.
START CONVERSATION
OLD SCHOOL
“I saw that this guy used to kill me” – Shaquille O’Neal was motivated to go at Rik Smits in the 2000 NBA Finals
BY YAKSHPAT BHARGAVA5 HOURS AGO
OLD SCHOOL
“Just get on my back, and we’re gonna get a championship ring” – Isiah Thomas’ bold promise to John Salley before winning a title
BY CHOLO MARTIN MAGSINO6 HOURS AGO
OLD SCHOOL
“I remember no one went outside of their role” – Ex-Wizard on what it’s like to play with Michael Jordan
BY JOHN JEFFERSON TAN9 HOURS AGO
OFF THE COURT
“What we are seeing is disconnect from the older generation” – Kevin Garnett thinks the new generation of NBA players is to blame for the…
BY OWEN CRISAFULLI9 HOURS AGO
OFF THE COURT
“It was freaky, scary” – Karl Malone recalls facing a charging grizzly bear while hunting
BY JOHN JEFFERSON TAN10 HOURS AGO
OLD SCHOOL
“They never stuck up for me” – When Shaq blasted Magic for throwing him under the bus after his grandma’s death
BY JONAS PANERIO10 HOURS AGO
OFF THE COURT
“I’m still your son” – Paul Pierce was enraged for never hearing from his father despite getting stabbed
BY YAKSHPAT BHARGAVA10 HOURS AGO
LATEST NEWS
“I don’t think it’s impossible” – Draymond Green thinks LeBron can win another ring but not with the current Lakers roster
BY OREL DIZON10 HOURS AGO
© 2024
ABOUT
CONTACT US
TERMS OF USE
PRIVACY POLICY