Michael Jordan's Revenge Quest Against Chicago Bulls' Reggie Theus

May 2024 ยท 1 minute read

In a 2011 interview, Kenny Smith divulged that when Jordan was drafted by the Bulls, Theus stated "there's no guy that can replace me that's a rookie" (via Fadeaway World). As Sportscasting explains, Smith is a fellow NBA player and Jordan's longtime friend. Needless to say, Jordan did not take kindly to Theus's comments. Another article from Sportscasting writes Jordan decided to take revenge at a game between the Bulls and the Kings. Jordan told Smith that his goal was to get 45 points against Theus. Smith recounted, "So I went to the locker room and said, 'Reggie, Michael said he's gonna get 45 tonight.'"

Per Sportscasting, Jordan did not in fact score 45 points that night. He scored only 43. Smith said, "And so he comes into the locker room and said, 'I didn't get 45, but you gotta come to Chicago.' He was mad that he didn't get 45." Although it seems that this was the end of basketball players' short feud, Bethune-Cookman University Athletics states that Theus went on to play for the Atlanta Hawks and the New Jersey Nets. He retired in 1993 (per Sports Illustrated) and became a college basketball coach. Jordan, on the other hand, is considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time (via the NBA). 

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