How Michael Jordan's trash talk forced Rodney McCray into early retirement

Their former teammate shared a story on how MJ ruined Rodney McCray for the Bulls

© RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

In 1993, Michael Jordan was in the prime of his career and the peak of his powers. He had just won his second NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls and was gunning for a third straight title. Meanwhile, Rodney McCray was a journeyman forward trying to keep his career going after playing solid basketball in Houston, Dallas, and Sacramento.

Although McCray did win a championship ring during his Bulls' stint in 1992, he got more than what he bargained for, with a Bulls source claiming that His Airness' daily badgering of McCray ruined the latter's confidence, which may have played a part in his decision to retire immediately after that season.

A great addition to the Bulls' rotation

McCray, then 31, was a 6-foot-7 small forward who was so highly touted coming out of Louisville that he was picked third overall in the 1983 NBA Draft. Although he never became an All-Star, McCray was as serviceable as they came, averaging double-figures in scoring in all but one of his first nine seasons. Moreover, he was a stellar defensive player and earned All-Defensive Team nods in 1987 and 1988.

In the 1992-1993 season, McCray found himself in a favorable spot — on a Bulls team that was coming off a title conquest the previous season. With MJ getting most of the minutes and shots at the wingman spot, McCray was brought in to provide quality minutes off the bench and be a reliable lockdown defender. Many foes and friends can attest that being around MJ can be overwhelming. A former teammate shared this interesting anecdote involving Jordan and McCray.

"When the two players are on opposite teams in scrimmages, Jordan is in Rodney's face, screaming, 'You're a loser! You've always been a loser!' Rodney can hardly put up a jumper now," a member of the Bulls team told Sports Illustrated.

McCray averaged a measly 3.5 points on three attempts per game that season. In total, McCray shot the ball just 92 times during his Bulls' stint. Before that, his lowest shot total was 622 during the previous season with the Dallas Mavericks.

Ferocious competitor

Jordan's competitiveness is the stuff of legend. He was always looking to improve and would go at anyone he felt was slacking off or not working hard enough. Although this helped him become the GOAT, it also led to some of his teammates having a tough time dealing with His Airness.

"He's the most viciously competitive player I've ever seen. That's what makes him, I think, the greatest player ever. He has practically ruined Rodney McCray for us," the source added, per Sports Illustrated.

McCray, who was a shell of his former self when he arrived in Chicago, was no match for Jordan's intensity. This is not to say that Rodney was a bad player, but MJ was on another level, and it seemed like the 10-year veteran just didn't have it anymore.