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"You don't want to get him wound up" - John Starks relives his intense rivalry with Michael Jordan

Originally posted on FanNation All Bulls
By Stephen Beslic | Last updated 3/4/23

The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks had a very intense rivalry in the 90s. These teams faced each other in the playoffs five times, with Michael Jordan and John Starks often guarding each other.

Fun matchups

Most outcomes of these games weren't great for the Knicks, but Starks told MSG Networks that the memories are still fun to relive.

"You know whenever you get a chance to play against someone like Michael Jordan, for me personally, the one-on-one matchups was fun because the level of competition that he brought every single night," Starks explained. "You had to raise your game up...I'm a very competitive person, as everybody knows, and obviously, he was the ultimate competitor to play against."

Jordan is considered one of the biggest trash-talkers the NBA has ever seen, but Starks shared that Jordan 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 wound up. He already came in to 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 90s Knicks, led by Patrick Ewing, Starks, Anthony Mason, and Charles Oakley, played a physical brand of basketball and left it all on the court against the Bulls, making every game must-see TV. Over the years, Jordan expressed that he always respected Starks as somebody that 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. 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," Starks said.

"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 came from. I wasn't trying to be dirty with him," former Knick concluded.

This article first appeared on FanNation All Bulls and was syndicated with permission.

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