When Robert Parish stood up to Michael Jordan during a Chicago Bulls practice

Michael Jordan can intimidate the best of them, but not Robert Parish.

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The 1990s were Michael Jordan's playground, an era where he frolicked and dazzled and won six championships with the Chicago Bulls. Robert Parish, at that time, was a hard-nosed veteran center who suddenly found himself on the Bulls after a long and storied career with the Boston Celtics.

One day during practice, MJ and Parish got into a bit of a tiff. Jordan was his usual alpha male self. Parish, not one to back down from anyone, decided he wouldn't take it anymore. He stood up to Jordan, letting him know in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't be pushed around.

The Chief meets His Airness

Jordan's hypercompetitiveness is no secret. He was always looking for an edge, always trying to find a way to get better, and most of all, he hated to lose. Whether in an actual game or practice, Jordan constantly demanded perfection from his teammates. And whenever any of them fell short of his standards, he would let them know about it in the most Jordan way possible.

This is exactly what happened with Parish. During one tense practice, Parish messed up executing a play. It didn't take long for Jordan to get in his face. Parish, who already had three championships and two decades' worth of experience in the Association by that time, was not about to take Jordan's crap. He got right in Jordan's face and let him know he wasn't going to be treated like a rookie or a second-class citizen.

"I told him, 'I'm not as enamored with you as these other guys. I've got some rings too.' At that point he told me, 'I'm going to kick your ass.' I took one step closer and said, 'No, you really aren't.' After that he didn't bother me," recalled Parish.

Twilight of his career

Parish joined the Bulls when he was 43, becoming one of the oldest players in league history. The 7-foot-1 center played sparingly for the Bulls, suiting up in just 43 games and averaging 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. The Chief admitted that he should have retired earlier than he did.

"By the end, Luc Longley and Bill Wennington were killing me in practice. Clearly I stayed on too long," Parish said.