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Tim Hardaway Sr. says Michael Jordan would get "cooked" in a 1-on-1 All-Star tournament
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- Tim Hardaway Sr. says Michael Jordan would get "cooked" in a 1-on-1 All-Star tournament
During recent years, there has been a growing talk about how the Association can upgrade and make the All-Star weekend relevant again. And while this year's mini tournament featuring two USA teams and one squad made up of international players was, according to many, a success, there have been murmurs about a potential 1-vs-1 tournament.
Although it is still a long way from becoming reality, the fact is that fans would definitely tune in to watch their favorite superstars go head-to-head in a highly competitive environment. And weighing in on the idea was Tim Hardaway Sr ., the retired guard and 13-year NBA veteran who can increasingly be found in the media world giving his two cents about everyday happenings around the league. However, this time, he had a take that will definitely have its fair share of people opposing it.
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Would MJ get cooked?
Hardaway entered the league in 1989 and hit his peak during much of the 1990s. Considering he was right there to witness Michael Jordan , for many, the greatest player to ever touch a basketball and the absolute ruler of that decade, "Tim Bug" sure knows a thing or two about His Airness. But when discussing a hypothetical one-on-one tournament, Hardaway claimed Jordan would get absolutely obliterated, or, in today's lingo, cooked, if he participated.
And Hardaway, well, he had his arguments.
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"Would Michael Jordan want (to participate)... And I love Mike, I love Kobe, I love everybody. And it's not a knock on nobody, but how did Michael Jordan win MVP? Was it alone, or was it with a team?" the Hall of Famer argued in his recent appearance on the "Crossover Podcast."
While it is undoubtedly true that MJ was one of the best, if not the best, offensive player in the history of the game, a guy you would gladly pass the ball to, move to the corner, and let him go to work, Hardaway Sr. believes that the defensive assignments in a one-on-one scenario would not have gone his way.
"I'm talking about one-on-one, if it was one-on-one, he would get cooked. Cuz ain't nobody there. Scottie Pippen ain't coming there to block your shot. Luc Longley… he not coming over there and put his big body on you, and he would hurt you, too…Dennis Rodman, he ain't coming there to take the charge," Hardaway added.
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Jordan was doing his thing before his teammates
And while MJ's offensive arsenal needs no explanation, considering his career average of 30.1 points per game still stands at the very top of the all-time NBA list, and that he won the scoring title six times (out of his 10 total), in the period from the season he won his first MVP and until Dennis Rodman came on board (1988-1995). On top of that, we cannot say his defensive side lagged far behind.
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Although Tim Bug claimed that much of Jordan's defensive prowess came from having elite teammates such as Scottie Pippen and Rodman, the fact remains that MJ won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1988, long before "The Menace" joined, and just as Pippen was coming into his own in the league. Additionally, Jordan was a three-time steals leader, with a career average of 2.3 per game. And while it is not all about the numbers, they definitely hold significant value. On top of that, he won three (out of five) MVP titles before 1993.
All in all, it seems Hardaway's argument is a bit far-fetched because, if anyone had done the cooking, it would likely have been the Chicago Bulls legend. Unfortunately, it is one of those debates we will never get to witness play out on the hardwood.
Related: Larry Bird named his favorite modern NBA superstar: "He goes all out all the time"
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
