Back In The Day NBA

Michael Jordan Scolded Media Long Before LeBron James-Stephen A Smith Feud

Shandel Richardson

June 10, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan in game four of the 1998 NBA Finals at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY
June 10, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan in game four of the 1998 NBA Finals at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY / Anne Ryan-USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC
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LeBron James recently drew praise and criticism for confronting ESPN media personality Stephen A. Smith courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers-New York Knicks game a few weeks ago.

The critics were upset with James because they felt he was being too sensitive to media coverage. They said players of yesterday handled this stuff much better.

What they fail to realize is NBA players have always taken exception to negative coverage. Proof was a recent press conference that surfaced of NBA great Michael Jordan scolding reporters in the 1990s. It appears Jordan was responding to allegations of his excessive gambling.

"It impacted my private life," Jordan said. "I didn't like it and I don't agree with it but I felt the need to express that and tell the truth and quit hallucinating and taking it further than it is." Now, you know what it is from my standpoint," Jordan said. "Anything else that you hear is totally false if it's to what I just told you. That's the honest truth."

HALL OF FAMER SUGGESTS GAME WAS MORE PHYSICAL BACK THEN

The NBA was considered more physical during the old days.

There were more fights. Hard fouls were part of the game. Hand-checking was allowed on defense.

Hall of Fame coach George Karl provided a reminder with a recent social media about a fight between Shawn Kemp and Scott Hastings during a 1992 preseason game.

Here's what Karl posted on X: "Thatā€™s what guys did in the 70s, 80s and 90s if a guy tried to score 250 points on them!!"

Both Kemp and Hastings were punished for their roles in the incident. Kemp was fined $8,000 and Hastings $2,500.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com