‘Steals all my moves’ – Michael Jordan names the only player who could beat him one-on-one
Michael Jordan didn't hesitate to name the one NBA player who could have beat him one-on-one.
The NBA legend is arguably the league's fiercest-ever competitor but made an honest admission about who could hand him a loss in a head-to-head contest.
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Before revealing who would beat him in a one-on-one, Jordan first named all the players he'd relish playing against.
In an interview 11 years ago Jordan said: "If I was in my prime, who would I want to play one-on-one with? That list is very long.
"I'd start off with Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant in his prime, LeBron [James] in his prime, [Dwyane] Wade in his prime, that's a good start."
The Chicago Bulls legend then revealed that of all of these players, only one would beat him.
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"I don't think I'd lose, other than Kobe Bryant -- because he steals all my moves," Jordan added.
Perhaps Jordan has this opinion as on the NBA court, it was Bryant who had the upper hand on him.
The Los Angeles Lakers won five of the eight games he played against Jordan, averaging 22.8 points and four assists.
Jordan took Bryant as a rival so seriously, that footage in 1998 revealed the six-time NBA champion was determined to not let the then 19-year-old Kobe upstage him at the All-Star Game.
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"That little Lakers boy is going to want to take everybody one-on-one," Air Jordan said before the game.
His Eastern Conference squad won 135-114 in front of a packed crowd of 18,323 inside the famous Madison Square Garden.
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Despite their intense rivalry, the pair shared a great relationship and became even closer post-retirement.
Bryant tragically lost his life at the age of 41, along with his daughter Gianna and seven other people in a helicopter crash in 2020.
At Bryant's funeral, Jordan gave a heartfelt speech and shocked the nation when he spoke with tears streaming down his eyes.
He said: "This is what Kobe Bryant does to me. He knows how to get to you in a way that affects you personally… even if he is a pain in the ass.
"Maybe it surprised people that Kobe and I were very close friends.
"But we were very close friends. Kobe was my dear friend. He was like a little brother.
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"Everyone always wanted to talk about the comparisons between he and I.
"I just wanted to talk about Kobe. You know, all of us have brothers and sisters, little brothers, little sisters, who for whatever reason always tend to get in your stuff, your closet, your shoes, everything.
"It was a nuisance, if I can say that word, but that nuisance turned into love over a period of time."
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