When Michael Jordan didn’t miss a chance to mock 18-year-old Diana Taurasi: “How’re your free throws going?” | CPT PPP Coverage

During his historic NBA career, Michael Jordan was known to partake in his fair share of trash talking. He even busted the chops of one of the greatest WNBA players in history.

While on Instagram live with Megan Rapinoe Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi brought up one of her first encounters with the Chicago Bulls legend. More importantly, how he ragged on her for falling short at one of his basketball camps.

Back in 1999, Taurasi was at Jordan’s camp and was in the mix to win a free pair of shoes. Unfortunately, she came up short after missing a free throw. Following her miss, Michael Jordan let her have it.

“So I get picked to do around the world. You start at the baseline, 15-footer, knocked it down. Elbow? Easy. Free throw — whatever. Elbow, baseline, 3-pointer, top of the key three, baseline three. I get up to [the free throw]. Clank. I missed the damn free throw for a free pair of Jordan’s. He goes ‘Nice try. Next.’”

A year later, Diana Taurasi returned to the camp to work as a counselor. When she first bumped into Michael Jordan, he brought up the incident again.

“Fast forward a year… I just finished my first year at UConn, I go back [to the basketball camp] as a counselor… He comes up to me and goes ‘How’re your free throws going?’”

Although things didn’t work out at Jordan’s camp, Taurasi went on to have a very successful career in the WNBA. She is a ten-time All-Star, three-time champion, and won MVP in 2009.

Michael Jordan always had to have the final word

To this day, Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player ever. What drove him throughout his NBA career was his fierce competitiveness.

When Jordan was on the basketball court, he was willing to do anything it took to come away victorious. The end result was him leading the Chicago Bulls to six championships during the 1990’s.

Along with being competitive, Jordan also loved to rub salt in the wound. Any time an opponent made the mistake of engaging him verbally, he always made sure to have the final word.

As Diana Taurasi’s story proved, MJ has a great memory. No matter how small the encounter or comment, he hung on to everything. Some might call it obsessive, but it was this hunger that drove him to be the best.