When the lights are brightest, legends don’t just show up — they take over.
And during the 1998 NBA All-Star Game in New York City, no one commanded the stage quite like Michael Jordan.
But what fans didn’t see in The Last Dance? The locker room moments. The mind games. And a young Kobe Bryant catching MJ’s eye — and eventually, his fire.
On Scoop B Originals Presents: The Freezeout, I caught up with Jayson Williams, former NBA All-Star and one of the Eastern Conference’s most physical big men during the ’90s. And when I asked him about that iconic night at Madison Square Garden — and the energy before the cameras rolled — Williams gave it to me straight:
“I think… Well, you know Michael is the loudest one in the room, right?”
“Well, my dad used to say, ‘The loudest one in the room is like an empty container which makes the most noise…’”
“But Mike that day was just coming in and he was gonna bring it to Kobe, you know?”
The stakes? More than just a game.
The ‘98 All-Star Game marked Jordan’s final appearance in the midseason classic as a Chicago Bull, and the world was watching to see if Kobe — then just 19 — was ready to challenge the throne.
But Jordan wasn’t backing down. And he made sure everybody in that Eastern Conference locker room knew it.
“He was coming in there letting us all know that he wasn’t going to take the ball out,” Williams said.
“Because you know in the All-Star Game when you take the ball out, you don’t get it back.”
Translation? MJ wanted the rock. Every trip. No discussion.
“He was just saying, ‘I want the ball and I want it every time!’”
In typical MJ fashion, it wasn’t just about scoring — it was about creating an edge. Even if it meant turning a friendly showcase into personal warfare.
“So, we weren’t all that excited about it,” Williams admitted.
“He was just looking to create an enemy on the basketball court to get him up so he can go out there and do what he’s gotta do.”
That’s the Jordan mentality.
Create conflict. Fuel the fire. Then dominate.
And even though it was Kobe’s breakout All-Star debut — 18 points, flashy dunks, and no fear — it was MJ who walked away with the MVP trophy, 19 points, and yet another statement to the basketball world.
For Jayson Williams, though, there’s no debate about who still holds the crown.
“He’s MJ, baby! He’s the best who ever did it.”
“You agree with that, right?”
Yeah, we do.
Final Thought
In a game built on alpha energy and storytelling, Michael Jordan knew how to write his own chapter every time he laced up. And thanks to Jayson Williams, we now know that some of those chapters didn’t even make the documentary cut.
But inside that Madison Square Garden locker room, before the lights and cameras — MJ was already in midseason form.
He wasn’t just ready to hoop.
He was ready to remind.
