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Topics: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, NBA
Jack Kenmare
He may have shared the court with Michael Jordan but former Chicago Bulls guard Steve Kerr believes a current NBA star is "more gifted" than the man who is widely regarded as the GOAT.
In total, Kerr and Jordan played together on 231 occasions between 1994 to 1998 as the Bulls cemented their place in the history books with three NBA championships wins.
However, their relationship was far from perfect. Ahead of the 95-96 season, Jordan was kicked out of practice by coach Phil Jackson after he punched Kerr in the face during a practice session.
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Jordan would later apologise for his actions. “It made me look at myself and say, ‘You know what? You’re really being an idiot about this whole process'," he said later on. "I knew I had to be more respectful of my teammates."
Kerr has gone on record saying their relationship improved dramatically from that moment on as they continued to achieve a huge amount of success on the court.
“We talked it out, and it was probably, in a weird way, the best thing that I ever did, was stand up for myself with him because he tested everybody he played with, and I stood up to him," Kerr said.
More than 20 years later and Kerr stated that former Golden States Warriors and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant was "more gifted" than the great Michael Jordan during an interview with NBC.
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"He [Durant] just showed he's the most talented basketball player on Earth, if not of all time," Kerr said in 2021.
"I think he's more gifted [than Jordan], I really do. That's saying something, but Kevin is a different, entirely different breed. I mean, 6-foot-11 with guard skills, unlimited 3-point range, passing, shot-blocking... it's just stunning."
After the interview emerged, FOX Sports reporter Colin Cowherd agreed with Kerr's statement. "I think KD is more gifted than Michael Jordan," he said.
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"I also think Wilt [Chamberlain] was more gifted than Bill Russell and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], they were just better centers. I think Russell Westbrook is more gifted than Chris Paul. Chris Paul is the better player. … Gifted is not what becomes GOAT."
Thoughts on the debate?