'The Last Dance' Episode 9: Bryon Russell once ticked off MJ and fans say he 'wrote a check he couldn't cash'
ESPN's 'The Last Dance' has revealed a number of things from the life of NBA legend Michael Jordan including some of the moments that motivated him to become the star he is today. And nine times out of 10, it's got something to do with a rival player spiting him.
Case in point: Jordan's beef with Bryon Russell. Apparently, it all started when Jordan had retired from basketball and was trying his hand at baseball. Russell met Jordan and told him that he could have guarded Jordan if he was still playing. So when MJ returned to basketball, he made sure to prove Russell wrong with a stellar game-winning shot that is still remembered to this day.
Fans are pretty much laughing their heads off at how Russell wrote his own sentence with one fan tweeting, "Bryon Russell talked his way into those game winning shots running his mouth smh #lastdance." Another fan declared, "This Bryon Russell story is more proof that Jordan is The Shredder on the rooftop vs the Turtles, bruh #Lastdance." Yet another fan chimed in writing, "Bryon Russell wrote a check he couldn’t cash #LastDance." Another fan joined in declaring, "Bryon Russell earned the right to get cooked!!!!! This s**t is crazy, lol got himself flamed for being Joe! #Lastdance."
In the end, it all came down to Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz when Jordan made a game-winning shot over Russell, leading to some fans accusing Jordan of pushing Russell off even though the referees did not call it a foul. Despite the rivalry, it does appear Jordan and Russell may still have been on friendly terms with the latter eventually saying, "Whether he pushed off or not, he was making that shot."
"We see the final shot ~ Michael Jordan game winner on Bryon Russell. What we didn’t know is the back story that put him on Jordan’s list," one fan wrote on Twitter. Another fan said, "I really hope they interview Bryon Russell so he can explain why he felt compelled to trash talk Jordan. #LastDance."
'The Last Dance' airs Sundays 9 pm ET on ESPN.