SUMMARY
- On February 10, 1993, during a Bulls-Pacers game, Michael Jordan had a notable clash with Reggie Miller.
- During a practice session before the 1995-1996 NBA season, Jordan punched teammate Steve Kerr after a verbal exchange.
NBA legend Michael Jordan is not only known for his unmatched skills on the court but is also famous for sometimes losing his temper. His clashes with teammates and other players made headlines throughout his career.
These moments not only highlight Jordan’s competitiveness but also the high-end competition of the NBA during his era. Here’s a look at the top five incidents where “His Airness” lost his cool.
# 1 Fight with Reggie Miller
In a heated moment of the Bulls-Pacers rivalry, Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller had a famous clash. This incident happened on February 10 1993 during a regular season game. After being shoved by Miller during a fast break, Jordan responded aggressively. He ran at Miller and threw a punch, but somehow Miller was able to avoid it.
30 years ago today: Michael Jordan vs. Reggie Miller.
Miller was ejected and fined $6K. Jordan stayed in the game, but was later fined $10K & suspended for one game after video of the fight showed he’d hit Miller in the throat with an elbow and thrown a punch.
February 10, 1993 pic.twitter.com/VLsVcg5bly
— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) February 10, 2023
Initially, Miller was the only one to face the consequences of the fight as he was ejected from that game. However, when the league reviewed the tape, Jordan was fined $10,000 for his actions. Years after the incident, Miller discussed it on “The Dan Patrick Show” and pointed out the unfairness of how he was held responsible for starting the fight.
#2 Punching Steve Kerr in the face
In Game 4 of the 1992 Eastern Conference Finals between the Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Danny Ferry of the Cavaliers took a swing at Jordan after they got caught up during a rebound attempt. It looked like Jordan was going to hit him back, but he only faked a punch, causing Ferry to pull back.
Following this, only Ferry was ejected, but Cleveland still won Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2. However, Jordan and Co. won the next two games to win the series. But what if Jordan had also responded with a punch? There was a possibility that the league would have issued suspensions, which could have affected the outcome of the series.
#4 Incident with Greg Anthony
A hard foul by Greg Anthony of the New York Knicks led to another controversial moment involving Michael Jordan. This incident happened during Game 2 of the Bulls-Knicks Eastern Conference Finals in 1993.
Believing the foul was intentional, Jordan reacted by throwing the ball at Anthony. After the game, according to the Chicago Tribune, Jordan allegedly threatened to confront Anthony in a back alley.
#5 Brawl with Bill Laimbeer
A rivalry with Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Pistons, especially intense during their run-ins in the Playoffs from 1988-91. During the game Jordan was offended by a moving screen set by Laimbeer.