Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan was a dominant personality on the basketball court. Leading his team to six championships and being the Finals MVP each time, many people wondered whether the success of the Bulls lay solely on His Airness’ shoulders. After Jordan bid adieu to the franchise in 1998, it gave rise to speculation. Taking the topic into consideration, a considerably younger Stephen A. Smith shared his opinions during an interview back in the 2000s.

A Twitter handle by the name of ‘Uncovering The Truth’ recently uploaded a video highlighting Smith sitting down for an interview on ‘The Top 5 Reasons You Can’t Blame…’. It was a television series shown on ESPN that used to examine players, coaches, and/or fans who had allegedly been involved in a team’s poor performance or outright failure.

Stephen A. Smith claimed that the Bulls deteriorated with Michael Jordan’s exit

During this particular episode, the focus turned toward Jerry Krause, the general manager of the Bulls for over 18 years. When discussing why he shouldn’t be blamed for the way the Bulls turned out to be in the future, the attention shifted to one of the biggest names in the NBA: Michael Jordan.

Smith brought up Michael Jordan’s exit from the Bulls and credited the move as the thing that led to the championship team’s eventual demise. “It never would have gone from a world championship to 15-17 victories in one season,” said Stephen A. Smith during a segment of the show.

The ESPN Host’s remarks were probably made after Jordan retired for a second time from the Bulls in 1998. After his exit, the morale of the team reportedly went down. Many key players, like Steve Kerr, also made their exit at the same time due to the absence of their leader.

By claiming that the Bulls started to meet their downfall after Jordan’s exit, Stephen A. Smith was in one way praising His Airness. His words were used to state how Jordan’s presence and prowess on the basketball court held the team together.

The ESPN host still continues to advocate for Michael Jordan

Two decades after his remarks on ‘The Top 5 Reasons You Can’t Blame…’, Stephen A. Smith continues to be a vocal advocate for Michael Jordan. Back in August, a few pedestrians in Italy mimicked a goat in front of MJ who was on a vacation with his wife.

Smith took the video as a means to bring out his own opinion to the limelight. Highlighting it in one of his shows, Smith expressed his sadness over Jordan not receiving the same amount of ‘respect’ in America.

“It saddens me that we have to travel across the ocean to see people from another country recognizing what everyone in America should already know. Michael Jordan is the greatest ever,” said Smith during a segment of his show. “And the fact that that sound has to be echoed in Italy as opposed to throughout the streets of America.”

What are your thoughts on Stephen A. Smith’s respect for Michael Jordan? Let us know in the comments below.