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Gary Payton on Michael Jordan’s laugh in The Last Dance: 'I wouldn’t respect him if he said I stopped him.'

Originally posted on Ball Exclusives | By Titan Frey | Last updated May 1, 2025 3:18 PM ET

The famed 2020 documentary on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, titled ‘The Last Dance,’ had many great moments. From the line where Jordan said, “It became personal with me,” to MJ’s security guard, John Michael Wozniak, shrugging after beating him at pitching quarters.

Never forget when the security guard hit the shoulder shrug after beating Michael Jordan in a coin toss game pic.twitter.com/WhDfwCDEhU

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One of the other big talking points was when former Seattle SuperSonics point guard Gary Payton stated he “made it tough” for Jordan in the 1996 NBA Finals.

Jordan ironically laughed and stated he “had no problem with Gary Payton.” Most believed Payton would be upset at Jordan for laughing him off, but The Glove sees it in another way.

“It’s his doc, it’s his thing,” Payton said. “I wouldn’t even respect him if he would have said I stopped him or whatever. Because that’s not what he’s supposed to say because he’s Michael Jordan. So, that’s just nothing but respect, and I respect him for doing that. I didn’t have no problems with that.”

So, who’s to believe? In the first three games where Payton was not the primary defender, Jordan averaged 31.0 points per game. In the three where The Glove switched on to him, MJ’s average slipped to 23.7.