"He's overrated" - How Jalen Rose once tried to talk trash to Michael Jordan and learned his lesson the hard way

Not many players had the guts to stand up to Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan during his legendary 15-year career. However, former 13-year NBA veteran Jalen Rose once did just that when Jordan’s Bulls took on his Indiana Pacers.

During an interview with VladTV in 2019, Rose spoke about the time he called Jordan overrated. Rose said he grew up rooting against Jordan, which gave him the confidence to talk trash to the Bulls legend:

“(I said) he’s overrated,” Rose said.

“Part of me, part of my ego, makes me think I was a member of the Bad Boys team, but I actually didn’t get a uniform. So when they walked off and didn’t shake the Bulls’ hands, when I look back at that footage, I was on the team. I felt that. That was everything to me.

“So I rooted against Jordan his whole career. His entire career. Hoping that I made it to the NBA. And now I’m in the league and there he go, and it’s the playoffs? What? Get off, take this.

“That’s the beautiful thing about basketball. There’s times that I went to bed at night and probably played in the game and scored more points than Michael Jordan. That’s the beauty of sports. A little bumpy-faced, skinny kid from Detroit.”

However, Rose added that his trash talk of Jordan didn’t pay off as Jordan later got his revenge in the form of a hard foul:

“But I clearly did not get the better (of Jordan). He elbowed me in the head one time, I vividly remember, at Market Square Arena,” Rose said.

“I was going up for a rebound and (he elbowed me) right in the back of the head. I know you saw me. The ref was looking right at me. I know you saw that. You’re standing right here.”

Jalen Rose finished his career with a combined regular-season and playoff record of 8-13 against Michael Jordan. This included Jordan’s Bulls defeating Rose’s Pacers 4-3 in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals.

Jalen Rose calls Michael Jordan the GOAT

Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and former 13-year NBA veteran Jalen Rose

Jalen Rose may have called Michael Jordan overrated in his playing days. However, Rose has since come around to the idea that Jordan is the greatest player of all time. Later on in his interview with VladTV, Rose spoke about Jordan’s GOAT case:

“But, yeah, the GOAT. No question about it,” Rose said.

“(Actually) Michael Jordan ain’t the best. Sorry, I lied. He’s No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5!

“Don’t get it twisted. Two separate three-peats? And he won Finals MVP every time? … What I just said will never be duplicated.”