The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks had an intense rivalry in the 90s. Back then, these teams collided in the playoffs five times, with Michael Jordan and John Starks guarding each other regularly. The results weren’t great for the Knicks, but Starks told MSG Networks that reliving the memories is still fun.
“You know whenever you get a chance to play against someone like Michael Jordan for me personally but the one-on-one matchups was fun to make because the level of competition you know that he brought every single night you had to raise your game up and so for me I loved I’m a very competitive person as everybody know and obviously he was a ultimate competitor to play against,” Starks said.
While Jordan is one of the biggest trash-talkers in NBA history, Starks shared that the Bulls legend didn’t talk a lot of trash to him.
“People always talk about Michael talking a lot of trash but he didn’t talk a lot of trash out there on the court he was so focused on his job, me and him really didn’t get into any verbal massive matches because I knew being this player that I am you don’t want to get him round up he already come into play but if you start talking noise to him he’s gonna take you to another level he gonna take his game to another level,” Starks noted.
Jordan Respected Starks
The Knicks were led by Patrick Ewing, Starks, Anthony Mason, and Charles Oakley. Those 90s Knicks teams played a physical brand of basketball and left it all on the court against the Bulls, making every game must-see television. Over the years, Jordan has said that he always respected Starks and how he guarded him.
“Michael like I said being a competitor he liked guys to compete hard and play hard against him you know what I mean and my mentality was just to go out there on the court and just make him work for every single thing that he got out there, I never go out there thinking that I was going to stop him that’d be foolish you know, all I was trying to do is just make him earn every single thing that he got out there on the court and then I think that’s where the level of respect come from I wasn’t trying to be dirty with him,” Starks explained.
