- Michael Jordan held back tears while explaining why he was so harsh to his teammates on the Chicago Bulls in practice.
- At the end of the seventh episode of “The Last Dance,” Jordan addressed those that thought he might be a “tyrant” for how he treated his teammates.
- “That’s how I played the game. That was my mentality,” Jordan said, clearly choked up. “If you don’t want to play that way, don’t play that way.”
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Michael Jordan got emotional while explaining his intensity towards his teammates as the seventh episode of “The Last Dance” came to a close.
Throughout the episode, Jordan had been shown as an aggressive competitor during Bulls’ practices, laying into teammates Scott Burrell and Steve Kerr in practices, whether through name-calling or outright bullying.
During the final moments of the episode, Jordan explained himself.
“When people see this, they’re going to say ‘Well, he wasn’t really a nice guy, he may have been a tyrant,'” Jordan said. “Well that’s you, because you never won anything. I wanted to win, but I wanted them to win and be a part of that as well.”
"I don't have to do this. I'm only doing it because it is who I am," Jordan said, getting choked up. "That's how I played the game. That was my mentality. If you don't want to play that way, don't play that way."
Jordan then called for a break from the interview, at which point the series cut to the credits.
ICYMI: The end of Episode 7. WOW. 😳 #TheLastDancepic.twitter.com/N3c5lN0mLI
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 11, 2020
Jordan was always known for his competitiveness and intensity. He wanted to win by any means necessary, even if it meant turning on his own teammates in practice.
With six titles in eight seasons, it's clear he believes his methods worked.
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