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Bill Cartwright revealed why he never worshipped Michael Jordan: "I didn’t follow his lead"
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- Bill Cartwright revealed why he never worshipped Michael Jordan: "I didn’t follow his lead"
Michael Jordan quickly established himself as the face of the Chicago Bulls . While that was undoubtedly the case, Bill Cartwright never viewed MJ as anything more than a young and remarkably talented player.
Cartwright was no stranger to stardom, having been named an All-Star in his rookie season in the NBA. He was already a seasoned veteran when he was traded to the Bulls in 1988. That being said, it was already clear to "Mr. Bill" that Mike was Chicago's superstar, but that didn't mean every player on the team should worship him.
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For Cartwright, there was no way he would learn the game from a younger player like Jordan. In fact, Bill even admitted that he wasn't fond of Michael's style of play.
"Everybody wants to know about [playing with] Michael Jordan and they're like, 'What was it like?' Look, I'm an old-school guy. When I grew up, Kareem was on my wall. Wilt [Chamberlain]. Jerry West. The guys before me were the guys that I really admired. When I got to the Bulls, I was the old guy—like 31, 32. Really old. [Laughs] So to me, those guys were like young punk kids. So, I wasn't a fan of those guys — they were all younger than me," Cartwright told Sactown Magazine last year.
"Even though God decided to give him more talent than anybody else — he was still a young guy," Bill said of Jordan. "I didn't follow his lead."
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The Bulls weren't just about Jordan
Taking a quick trip down memory lane, the Bulls struggled with Jordan leading the charge in his first three seasons with the team. They never got past the first round in three consecutive postseasons and were dominated by the Detroit Pistons in their first trip to the conference semi-finals.
Cartwright, meanwhile, had more playoff experience during his time with the New York Knicks . Apart from not being impressed by Mike, "Mr. Bill" also pointed out that the Bulls weren't just about MJ. Whenever people ask him about his time with the Bulls, the center often mentions the other key players of the team who also deserve credit for their contributions.
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"We had other guys too," Cartwright emphasized. "John Paxson was a veteran. Horace Grant. We had Craig Hodges on the team — best shooter on the planet. And every year, we added guys — Scott Williams, Stacey King and B.J. Armstrong, who became an All-Star."
Chief echoed Mr. Bill's sentiment
As it turns out, Cartwright wasn't the only player who joined the Bulls as a veteran. Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish also became a Bull in his final season in the league.
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Like Bill, Robert also didn't admire Jordan as a leader. In fact, " Chief" didn't see eye-to-eye with MJ and they even almost came to blows at one point.
"I told him, 'I'm not as enamored with you as these other guys. I've got some rings, too,' At that point, he told me, 'I'm going to kick your a— .' I took one step closer and said, 'No, you really aren't.' After that, he didn't bother me," Parish once recalled .
All told, what Cartwright and Parish said about Jordan doesn't detract from Mike's legacy and greatness. Instead, such remarks should just be taken and respected as personal opinions.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
