NBA Great among rare Michael Jordan opponents with mutual respect

The NBA legend Michael Jordan has rarely made friends on the pitch.

He had a job: the opposition dominated. It was part of his persona who led to a Hall of Fame career with six championships and many fans called him as the greatest ever.

However, there was an opponent for whom Jordan had nothing but love. This distinction belonged to the Detroit Piston's Guard Joe Dumars.

“I will say that,” said Dumars during a appearance in the Dan Patrick Show. “He and I have taken against each other for 14 years. In these 14 years he never tried to persuade me and never tried to destroy him.”

The respect was strange because Dumars played for Jordan's greatest rival. Jordan lost three seasons in a row to the pistons before finally broke through in 1991. Apart from Dumar, he didn't like Detroit player.

Dumars was the only player who shook Jordan's hand when the pistons in the last seconds in the conference finale went off the pitch in the last seconds.

“It was toe toe, nose to the nose for 14 years and we never said a negative word with each other on the pitch,” said Dumars. “I respected him and so we had a real, real mutual respect for each other. In those years in which we hit them there, he went through every time, shaking my hand and walking,” good luck in the final, man. “I could see that he was destroyed with the loss.

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Shandel Richardson is the editor of Back in the Day Hoops on Si. It can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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