"Michael strategically talks. Once you get GP started. Forget about it" - Jim Jackson on difference between Michael Jordan and Gary Payton as trash-talkers

Yahoo

15-07-2025

"Michael strategically talks. Once you get GP started. Forget about it" - Jim Jackson on difference between Michael Jordan and Gary Payton as trash-talkers originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Before injuries and Father Time diminished Jim Jackson's skills, he was a bona fide stud in the NBA, one who wasn't afraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone. This included Michael Jordan, whom he never backed down from.
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Jackson reminisced about the thrill of going up against Jordan but noted that trading words with Gary Payton was an entirely different experience. Now retired and thriving as a respected analyst and broadcaster, he reflected on Payton's legendary trash-talking skills.
Payton was an antagonist
Trash talk is often utilized to get an opponent off his game. At the same time, some players lean into it to get their competitive juices going, giving them enough fuel to perform at their best. Jackson and Jordan's back-and-forth was a perfect example of this dynamic. They talked smack to bring out the best in one another.
However, Payton's methods were a little extreme. He went after guys to make them so mad they would forget about playing the game and focus on getting revenge on him. This often resulted in technical fouls and, at times, even ejections, but Payton didn't care. He saw it as a way to gain the upper hand.
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"Gary different, bro. Gary — Gary an antagonist, man. Just an antagonist," Jackson told Paul George on his podcast. "Mike try to go for you. GP? He all up in you the whole time."
Jackson disclosed that while Jordan relished the competitive banter, there were times when he'd back off, biding his time to strike at a more opportune moment. On the other hand, Payton never backed down, talking from tip-off until the final buzzer.
"Michael strategically talks to you. Once you get GP started? Forget about it, bro," he stated. "He right here (pointing to his ear). Right there. That's GP — he right there."
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MJ always got the last word
Jackson also shared a few stories of how Jordan almost always managed to get the last word when they faced off.
He shared that while playing for the New Jersey Nets during the 1996-97 season, they managed to defeat the Chicago Bulls, 99-98, with him scoring 20 points. They again faced off a few weeks later, but this time, it was at the United Center, exchanging pleasantries throughout the game.
"End of the game, I ended with 33, right? Mike had 37. We lost," Jackson recalled. "So Joe Kleine, who played with us — who also played for the Bulls — we going through the handshake line, and Joe went up to Mike and said, 'Man, you leave my young fella alone.'"
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"Mike said, 'Man, JJ my guy, but just tell him that's why he wearing my shoes,'" he continued, sending the "Podcast P" crew laughing. "I said, 'Tell him I ain't taking them off either!'"
Jordan and Payton were two of the best trash talkers of all time. Although they differed in their approaches, Jackson was one of the fortunate few who got to experience it firsthand.
Related: "Part of me was like… just didn't want to do it" - Kobe Bryant said he considered letting Michael Jordan have his storybook ending in 2003
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.