The Last Dance: The truth behind the Flu Game, Jordan wanting to run it back among 5 things we learned in Episodes 9-10

4. Bryon Russell was on MJ’s list for 3 years

Poor Bryon Russell.

The iconic, lasting image of Jordan’s career with the Bulls is crossing up Russell and hitting the game-winner over him in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, but people forget MJ — aside from torching him in both Finals series against Utah — also hit a game-winner over Russell in Game 1 of the 1997 NBA Finals. It’s almost as though Jordan went to extra lengths to torment the poor guy.

The reason? Jordan says that when he was preparing to take his baseball sabbatical, a young Russell started talking trash to him about how he was leaving the game because there was no way MJ could score on him anymore. Jordan told Karl Malone to get his boy, to which the Mailman responded that he was just a young rookie who didn’t know any better.

It didn’t matter; Russell was now on the GOAT’s list.

So of course, once Jordan returned to basketball and got the chance to play Russell in the Finals four years later, he exacted his revenge. The pettiness is unparalleled, and we’re here for it.