Michael Jordan’s ex-teammate reveals truth behind vicious ‘torment’ from very beginning

While the Chicago Bulls' 1990s dynasty was an unparalleled, glorious period, it wasn't all peaches and cream. Anyone who knows anything about Michael Jordan knows that he could be ruthless.One of those on the receiving end of his hyper competitiveness was guard Scott Burrell. In the 2020 docuseries “The Last Dance”, previously unearthed footage showed Jordan berating Burrell in practice. Now, Burrell is providing greater insight into Jordan's “torment”, per Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Scoop B.Burrell told Robinson that it began on the first day.“MJ started his torment of me going at me on the first day of practice,” Burrell said.While Jordan was notorious for his competitiveness, Burrell said word of mouth doesn't match reality.“I don’t think people will know the truth of it until they see the documentary,” Burrell said. “They might think he’s competitive, but they don’t know to what extent until they see this movie. It’s at another level. I took it as a way to motivate people to get better. People might think it’s belittling or too hard, but I saw it as a way to learn from the best team and the best coaching staff in the NBA. I had to do my part to help that team win.”Once they became teammates, Burrel was able to witness Jordan's legendary work ethic.“A couple of things,” he said. “One is how hard he works. He’s in the weight room every morning. He competes in practice and never takes a day off. I learned those things Day One. He’s never satisfied being where he is. He always wanted to get better on the court and wanted you to get better to make his job easier and the team better prepared for any situation.”Burrell played that one year with Chicago (1997-98) and won a title.While the Chicago Bulls' 1990s dynasty was an unparalleled, glorious period, it wasn't all peaches and cream. Anyone who knows anything about Michael Jordan knows that he could be ruthless. One of those on the receiving end of his hyper competitiveness was guard Scott Burrell.