Former Chicago Bulls center Will Perdue wasn't always fond of how hard Michael Jordan was to him and his teammates.

However, upon looking at the bigger picture, the 7-foot-1 retired slotman believes Jordan's tough love was necessary to propel the Bulls to greatness during their first three-peat from 1991-93.

In the latest episode of The Last Dance, Perdue opened up about why the rest of the Bulls squad still held MJ in high regard despite his often brazen attitude during practices.

“Let’s not get it wrong: He was an a**hole, he was a jerk, he crossed the line numerous times but as time goes on you think back about what he was actually trying to accomplish — you’re like, he was a hell of a teammate,” Will Perdue said.

In a recent interview, Perdue revealed that he was also physically struck by Jordan one time during a heated scrimmage. Now Golden State Warrior head coach Steve Kerr also famously engaged in a fistfight with His Airness during practice, while Perdue revealed that there are others who also received Jordan's wrath.

There's no doubt Michael Jordan's competitive spirit did cause him to go off rails from time to time. His combatant nature also rubbed off on his teammates, who put in 100 percent effort each game during their peak years in the early '90s.

Perdue, on the other hand, went on to win a total of four titles with the Bulls and San Antonio Spurs. He helped command the interior during Chicago's first three-peat from 1991-93. He then went on to win one more title with the Spurs in 1999 before returning to the Windy City franchise.