George Karl explains why he stiffed Michael Jordan before 1996 NBA Finals
During episode eight of the ESPN docuseries "The Last Dance," Michael Jordan talked about how being snubbed by Seattle SuperSonics head coach George Karl at a Seattle restaurant ahead of the 1996 NBA Finals gave him extra motivation to topple the Western Conference champions.
Karl confirmed Jordan's story during appearances on ESPN and SiriusXM NBA Radio:
While speaking with Sirius, Karl explained that he'd told Sam Perkins, Jordan's teammate at North Carolina, and other Seattle players to not socialize with His Airness after the start of the series. Thus, Karl believed he'd be breaking his code by acknowledging Jordan's presence at the restaurant.
As Sam Quinn of CBS Sports wrote, though, Karl had a relationship with Jordan before the Finals, which is why the coach was aware the then-three-time champion player would use any mental aspect, such as a non-greeting at a restaurant, for additional motivation.
Sometimes, a simple "hello" can go a long way.
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