Knicks legend Walt Frazier doesn’t remember making this remark about Michael Jordan in 1984, but he isn’t surprised he did. I don’t know if the NBA would’ve made it. He lives in Harlem with his long-term girlfriend, Patricia James, and they also have a home in St. Croix. All Rights Reserved. "There was no one alive, not [North Carolina] coach [Dean] Smith, not Rod Thorn who drafted him, no one, none of the experts thought [Jordan] would become what he became.". “Clyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine” sports-bar restaurant has shut down – even for takeout. Again, it was a big-man's game. The funniest take has to be Walt “Clyde” Frazier. “Anyone who plays for Dean Smith, he holds them back. Personal life. Knicks legend Walt Frazier doesn’t remember making this remark about Michael Jordan in 1984, but he isn’t surprised he did. “I’m better off in New York cooling out here.”. The footage of former Knicks star Walt Frazier questioning Jordan's ability to be a franchise player is telling. 3 pick. The promotional material references Frazier's "signature colorful style". Versatility is Oscar Robertson. section: | slug: the-last-dance-documentary-michael-jordan-would-not-have-been-bulls-no-1-pick-in-1984-rod-thorn-reveals | sport: basketball | route: article_single.us | The Bulls, luckily, got him a few months before everyone found that out. Now, the Blazers taking Sam Bowie, a seven-footer out of Kentucky with a severe injury history? Frazier planned a brief respite to fly back to his Caribbean home after the Knicks’ game in Miami on March 13. “If it’s Superman, it’s Wilt Chamberlain. 5:00 pm ET, Expectations For Finale Of Michael Jordan Documentary, Key questions about next season, other NBA dates, Report: Knicks could be interested in Westbrook, Report: NBA targeting Jan. 18 start date for next season, Coaching rumors: Clippers, Cassell meet; Lue coveted, LeBron to Davis: 'We've got more work to do'. Even when Magic Johnson took the league by storm in leading the Lakers to a title in his rookie season of 1979-80, he played the Finals as a center. He keeps them in a team system. “I’m in enough pain with the coronavirus — I didn’t want to watch Jordan,’’ Frazier said. If not for Wilt and Bill Russell. Walt Frazier vs. Michael Jordan Comparison Head-to-head comparison between the NBA stars Michael Jordan and Walt Frazier that includes championships won, honors and awards obtained, regular season and playoffs stats and other data put side by side. You never know the versatility of these guys when they play for North Carolina. Yahoo fait partie de Verizon Media. “Sometimes I get bored but I got stuff at home so I’m working out four times a week,’’ Frazier said. 3 pick. A 1984 clip used in the ESPN 10-part documentary series The Last Dance, which covers Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls, captures New York Knicks legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier saying Jordan couldn't "carry a team" because he wasn't seven feet tall.. Jordan eventually led the Bulls to six titles in eight years, and Marc Berman of the New York Post caught up with Frazier soon after … Asked if he now considers Jordan the greatest of all time, Frazier stopped short. Knicks legend Walt Frazier doesn’t remember making this remark about Michael Jordan in 1984, but he isn’t surprised he did. Nos partenaires et nous-mêmes stockerons et/ou utiliserons des informations concernant votre appareil, par l’intermédiaire de cookies et de technologies similaires, afin d’afficher des annonces et des contenus personnalisés, de mesurer les audiences et les contenus, d’obtenir des informations sur les audiences et à des fins de développement de produit. "Michael's got to realize he's not seven foot, so he's not going to carry a team in the NBA," Frazier said at the time. “I always ask what’s the criteria when you say the greatest ever,’’ Frazier said. The footage of former Knicks star Walt Frazier questioning Jordan's ability to be a franchise player is telling. Frazier, who 50 years ago helped lead the Knicks to their first title, still was skeptical six seasons into Jordan’s career, when he had zero rings. He’s been working out in his house on a stationary bike and with weights, staying his usual fit self. Even after Jordan was drafted, Rod Thorn quipped to the media: "We wish he was 7-1, but he isn't." He is the father of a son referred to both as Walt Jr. and, later, Walt III. Frazier says he hasn’t watched the documentary. Rushmore ... Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Portland had Clyde Drexler, who played the same position as Jordan, and back then the NBA didn't play the same position-less style that's played today, which not only encourages but in many ways necessitates having multiple wings with Drexler and Jordan's size and skill. Still, none of that may not have mattered had the draft been held just a few months later, after the 1984 Olympics, in which Jordan led the U.S. to a gold medal while putting on a show worthy of U.S. coach Bob Knight calling him "the best basketball player that I've ever seen play. Vous pouvez modifier vos choix à tout moment dans vos paramètres de vie privée. Hindsight is 20-20, but at the time Olajuwon was, at the very least, an extremely defensible pick, and probably the right pick. 1 pick. No one knew he was going to do what he did.”. "Olajuwon would've been first by anybody who picked, including me," Thorn said. He was crying he thought the general manager didn’t know what he was doing. If not for Chamberlain, nobody would’ve heard of any of us. Pour autoriser Verizon Media et nos partenaires à traiter vos données personnelles, sélectionnez 'J'accepte' ou 'Gérer les paramètres' pour obtenir plus d’informations et pour gérer vos choix. In 1984, it was a big man's game. Indeed, Jordan unleashed his fury on the Knicks – with Frazier in the broadcast booth. "Michael became the most popular amateur basketball player in the world because of the Olympics.". Frazier is a member of the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha. Frazier is quarantined in Manhattan, afraid to fly to his second home in St. Croix because of fears he couldn’t get back due to the coronavirus. © 2004-2020 CBS Interactive. When a Rookie Shaq Bullied Prime Michael Jordan and Almost Got Away With It - Duration: 15:06. WALT FRAZIER DOESN'T HAVE TO PUT MJ OR LEBRON ON HIS MOUNT RUSHMORE- IT'S HIS OPINION! Bernard King shared that he thought that “Michael Jordan’s caliber will excel a lot under pressure whereas a lot of athletes will not.” The segment closed out with a very bold, but now known to be accurate prediction by Walt Frazier when he said that he thought Michael Jordan will be a future Hall of Famer. However, its debut five weeks ago included one part that had to catch everyone's attention when Rod Thorn, who was the Bulls' general manager in 1984, admitted he would've taken Hakeem Olajuwon over Jordan had the Bulls had the No. However, the season was suspended March 11 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and Frazier flew home with the team from Atlanta. Winning is Bill Russell. ", "The reality is, we were lucky the draft was before the Olympics," Thorn said in the documentary. Then all of a sudden it happened.”. I have (Kareem) Abdul-Jabbar as a career-leading scorer. Actually I’d say Wilt Chamberlain because when we played in the 70s and flied commercial, you go through the airport and people would say either ‘Are you a Globetrotter or Wilt Chamberlain?’ That’s all the people knew.’’. We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. The footage of former Knicks star Walt Frazier questioning Jordan's ability to be a franchise player is telling. “The players are used to going to the facility.”, Knicks legend Walt Frazier defends resurfaced Michael Jordan jab. “I would find it hard to say Mike. That was probably a bad call at the time, and over the years it's come to look even worse. Jordan, meanwhile, was listed at less than 6-foot-6. He was 6-foot-9, as was Larry Bird. “I didn’t want to be stuck there,’’ Frazier said. I don’t know if there would’ve been an NBA. “He’s not 7-foot. “And he was having trouble and complaining because he couldn’t beat the Pistons (1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90). Home » Sport » Knicks legend Walt Frazier defends resurfaced Michael Jordan jab. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Frazier, John “Red” Kerr, Mark Eaton, Bernard King, Al Attles, and Bob Lanier gave their take on the young Michael Jordan. During “The Last Dance’’ ESPN documentary premiere Sunday, a snippet showed Frazier opining about Jordan after he was drafted by the Bulls with the No. – Walt Frazier. On the other hand, Olajuwon was a can't-miss prospect who wound up delivering the Rockets two championships (both coming in the years Jordan went on his baseball sojourn). Découvrez comment nous utilisons vos informations dans notre Politique relative à la vie privée et notre Politique relative aux cookies. Vince Carter, (James) Worthy. "Michael's got to realize he's not seven foot, so … “He broke his foot (his second season), I was like, I don’t know,’’ Frazier recalled. “Michael’s got to realize that he’s not seven foot, so he’s not going to carry a team in the NBA.