Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time, but he wasn't always viewed that way. For a point in time, he was just a youngster playing for North Carolina in college who was trying to carve out a role for himself.
One guy who witnessed the rise of MJ during his time in college firsthand was fellow NBA Hall of Famer James Worthy . According to the former Tar Heel, it didn't take him very long to realize that Jordan was better than him.
"Big Game James" keeps it real on Mike
While Jordan eventually blossomed and found himself with a big role for North Carolina during the 1981-82 season, for the most part, the team was led by him and another guy who would find his way into the NBA in Sam Perkins.
The sudden emergence of MJ was surprising to fans, especially since he was a true freshman at the time. It wasn't as surprising to Worthy, though, as he realized three weeks after being teammates with Jordan that the rising star was already better than him.
"In his documentary, I say that I was better than Michael Jordan for about three weeks," Worthy said on The Dan Patrick Show. "It took about three weeks for him to be cocky. He always sought out the best, whether it was backgammon, chess, cards, he wanted to know who the best was."
"One of the things I think is missing is that you don't have these college coaches anymore that are ripping your egos away immediately. 'You're gonna be a part of this team,' and Michael bought into that, and with his talent, Coach (Dean) Smith just elevated. I tease him a lot, though; he couldn't win another one without me. He was a late bloomer; he really had a lot of talent, and then it just surged as he kept growing and getting old in the NBA," Worthy added.
Worthy helped MJ grow during their time together
It must have been tough for the 6'9" forward to cede control to Jordan. Still, he helped him find his bearings during their lone season together, which was vital for his development and the team's chemistry. It shouldn't be surprising that this UNC team won a National Championship.
Even with Jordan's star turn, Worthy still ended up being the first overall pick of the 1982 NBA Draft. During his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, he earned seven All-Star selections and won three titles, culminating in his election into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Of course, Worthy's accomplishments pale in comparison to what Mike managed to do. Jordan won six titles and earned countless individual accolades during his time in the NBA, and that's a big reason why he's largely believed to be the GOAT.
This isn't to say that MJ wouldn't have become a star without Worthy. Still, the two certainly worked well together during their lone season at North Carolina. And that may have been due to "Big Game James" realizing early on just how special of a talent Jordan was.
Related: "He comes in and tries to psych you out" - James Worthy sounded off on M.L. Carr's dirty tactics in Game 4 of the 1984 Finals
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