Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson are two of the best athletes of all time in their respective sports. The two legends are also notoriously fierce competitors and are not people you'd want to cross. Well, according to Tyson's former manager Rory Holloway, the two had an altercation in 1988 that nearly ended up in a fight.
In Holloway's new book chronicling the career of Tyson, the manager recalls that, at a party for then-Chicago Bears star Richard Dent, Tyson called out Jordan and threatened to beat him up.
The argument stemmed from Jordan's previous relationship with Tyson's then-wife Robin Givens.
“Mike Tyson’s sitting there with his drink of choice, a Long Island Tea, and when he drinks his real feelings come out,” Holloway said via BoxingScene.
“I’m telling the server to water his drinks down because I see where this is going. Mike stares across the table at Michael Jordan. He says, ‘Hey man, you think I’m stupid? I know you f***** with my b****.’ Jordan looks like he just seen a ghost. ‘I know you messed with her,’ Mike says. ‘You can tell me.’”
According to Holloway, Jordan obviously wanted no part in the conflict with Tyson, who at the time, was the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world.
Bears head coach Mike Ditka and legendary boxing promoter Don King also reportedly got involved in the altercation and Tyson apparently had to be held back in order to prevent him from trying to beat up the Bulls star.
Jordan has apparently declined to comment on the situation over the years and despite reports of the altercation differing from source to source, Holloway does provide a first-hand account of the event in his book
Follow Us
Subscribe