Michael Jordan Called Himself 'Black Jesus'

Reggie Miller trash talked Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan in an exhibition game early in his career. Miller shared the tale on Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday night.

My rookie year we were playing the Chicago Bulls, and this is Michael Jordan’s third or fourth year in. And we were playing an exhibition game...most veterans do not like to play in exhibition games, they want to get to the real thing. I’m a wide-eyed, energetic rookie and...Michael’s going through the motions.

And Chuck Person—who’s on my team—who is a trash-talker as well, is like, “Can you believe Michael Jordan, the guy everyone’s talking about, who’s supposed to be able to walk on water? You’re out here killing him, Reg! ... You should be talking to him!” And I was like, “You know what, you’re right!”

“Michael...who do you think you are? The great Michael Jordan? That’s right, there’s a new kid on town!”

He kind of looks at me and starts shaking his head. So at half I have 10, and he has four points...end of the game, the second half, he ended up with 44 and I ended up with 12. So he outscored me 40-2.

And as he’s walking off, he’s like, “Be sure, and be careful, you never talk to Black Jesus like that.”

This clip of Michael Jordan socking Miller in the face in a Bulls-Pacers game in 1993 is a better memory for sure, though Miller didn’t recount what he said to prompt this.