Michael Jordan was in no doubt over the one NBA player he wishes he'd played with

Michael Jordan has nominated a surprise opponent as the NBA player he most wishes he had played with.

Jordan is a global sporting icon and is considered to be one of basketball's greatest players of all time.

He's more than willing to speak his mind on his fellow players past and present, and never shy when it comes to his opinions about opponents.

Jordan played against many of the other candidates in the NBA greatest-of-all-time debate but it's always more interesting to hear his views about the top players he came up against most directly on the court.

The former Chicago Bulls man has revealed which NBA player he wished he'd played alongside but never did, and, while the player in question enjoyed his own successes, his name doesn't necessarily carry the weight as those of Jordan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James or Steph Curry.

"While he got to play with [Scottie] Pippen and [Dennis] Rodman, two all-time great NBA players, Jordan would have also loved the chance to team up with former shooting guard, Danny Ainge," reports GiveMeSport.

"The two faced off multiple times throughout their careers, with the latter representing the likes of the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns during his time in the association.

"They may have played in the same position, but that wouldn't have been an issue for Jordan, who admitted that he'd have liked to play with four copies of Ainge, filling each other position on the court."

Ainge won the NBA Championship in 1984 and 1986 as part of the legendary Celtics team that also featured Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

He went on to play for the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers before joining the Suns as a free agent in 1992.

Michael Jordan (Image: Getty)

Now 66, Ainge is a senior executive with the Utah Jazz. sticking with basketball at the end of a sporting career that also, unusually, included three years as a professional baseball player.

Jordan won six NBA titles with the Bulls between 1991 and 1998 and was named NBA Finals MVP in each of those years.

The 62-year-old still stands as the player with the highest-ever NBA salary when adjusted for inflation.

"I wish I had four Danny Ainges as teammates," he said. "With his desire and hustle, we’d never lose a game."