"Are you a mute? Do you not speak?" - When Michael Jordan called out Rachel Nichols in her early days on the job

Michael Jordan was a keen observer, not just on the basketball court, but also had the propensity to scan individuals during his media interactions. That was evident when a young Rachel Nichols attempted to maintain a low profile during his early career; MJ's perceptiveness led him to notice her reticence.

While being called out by the five-time MVP initially seemed embarrassing, the Undisputed host eventually noticed how that particular incident allowed her to bond with the 6'6" shooting guard and even encouraged other players to believe in her credibility as a journalist.

Nichols was nervous when MJ called her out

In her teenage years, Rachel worked as a newspaper journalist while pursuing journalism at Northwestern University. The period coincided with MJ leading the Chicago Bulls to their first three-peat. So, when media members hovered around the 14-time ALl-Star, Nichols' strategy at the Bulls' practice session interactions was to blend with the rest of the media and base her stories on their questions.

However, this approach was disrupted when Mike directly confronted her after noticing her silence. Recounting the particular incident during her appearance on The Jump, Nichols emphasized her honest reaction.

"Frankly, a 19-year-old girl way out of my element, with my little tape recorder in this clump of people interviewing Michael Jordan," Nichols said . "I was terrified to ask him a question back then until maybe the fourth or fifth time I was there, and he called me out and said, 'Are you a mute? Do you not speak? What's going on?' I took a deep breath and asked him a question. He paused for maybe 30 seconds before he answered my question… Those 30 seconds might have been the longest 30 seconds in my life."

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That incident changed her career

Initially, young Nichols felt extremely embarrassed at being singled out in the presence of more experienced journalists. However, this incident marked a turning point, as she recognized that she had captured Jordan's attention. Eventually, this realization instilled a newfound confidence in her interactions with the six-time Finals MVP.

Furthermore, Mike's openness with Rachel served to validate her credibility in the eyes of other players. In retrospect, what seemed like a moment of discomfort ultimately proved to be a significant boon for her career as a sports media analyst, a realization that dawned on her over time.

"From then on, because he sort of regularly talked to me, the other players were like, 'OK, we can talk to her, too,'" Nichols added. "It made a big difference early in my career, and it was a lot of fun later when I worked in DC, and he played for the Wizards as well."

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