When we look back at Michael Jordan 's career today, it's easy to label him as the undisputed GOAT, not just in basketball, but perhaps in all of sports.
But before the six rings, the MVPs and the global icon status, MJ was just another talented guard trying to make a name for himself in a team-first system at North Carolina.
One of his fiercest rivals from those days, Georgetown legend Patrick Ewing , recently sat down on "The Pivot" podcast to reminisce about their early encounters. Interestingly, Ewing admitted that back then, he didn't see Jordan as the world-beater he would eventually become.
"You know he's athletic. You know he was talented. We played in the McDonald's All-American games together," Ewing said . "I also visited North Carolina when he was there. He had already committed, but I think they brought him back just to talk me into coming to North Carolina."
"There were other guys that I thought might have been better than him at that time," Ewing added. "But the thing that separated him from a lot of people was that belief. He had a belief in himself, he had a drive and obviously the athleticism. All of that separated him from everybody else."
Ironically, it was Jordan who would hand Ewing his most painful college memory. In the 1982 NCAA championship game, Jordan hit the go-ahead jumper with 15 seconds left to sink Ewing's Hoyas, 63-62. While Ewing was the dominant force of that era — leading Georgetown to three title games in four years — Jordan's legend was born in that single moment.
During his three years as a Tar Heel, Jordan's stats of 17.7 points and 5.0 rebounds were elite but not necessarily "greatest of all time" material. Critics questioned his outside shot and his playmaking. That all changed the moment he stepped onto an NBA floor.
Drafted third overall behind Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie, Jordan turned the professional game into his private playground. In his rookie year with the Chicago Bulls , he averaged a staggering 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists, finishing third in the league in scoring behind only Bernard King and Larry Bird.
Ewing entered the league a year later as the number one overall pick, immediately living up to his own hype by winning Rookie of the Year. He was supposed to be the man to lead the New York Knicks to a Larry O'Brien trophy.
But the "skinny kid" from North Carolina who broke his heart in college would grow into Ewing's ultimate professional nightmare, repeatedly blocking the Knicks' path to a title throughout the 90s.
They may have won Olympic gold together in 1984 and 1992, but their relationship remains defined by an intense rivalry. Ewing could never have guessed that the kid who didn't even "look like the best player on the floor" in college would end up being the greatest to ever do it.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
