Chris Childs never backed down. Not from a challenge. Not from a bigger name. And definitely not from Michael Jordan.
The former Knicks guard is known around the league for being tough, vocal, and unapologetically real. And in our recent conversation, Childs didn’t hold back when reflecting on competing against MJ — the GOAT in the eyes of many, but also a guy Childs saw through a different lens.
“And what people don’t understand is Michael was one the dirtiest players who ever played the game, you know?”Childs told me. “He would cheap-shot you and then look at the ref for help.”
Now that’s not something you hear every day.
We all know the highlight reels. We’ve seen the fadeaways, the tongue-out dunks, and the killer instinct. But what Chris Childs is talking about is the part of the game you don’t see on posters — the elbows, the chatter, the psychological warfare. MJ didn’t just want to beat you; he wanted to bully you.
And that didn’t sit right with Childs.
“One thing that I stood on from the beginning is that I’m a man like you’re a man and I want to be treated accordingly,” Childs said. “If you don’t treat me accordingly, then I’ll take that respect … and that’s one thing that when I stepped on the court, I let that be known from the beginning.”
In other words, Chris Childs wasn’t just guarding Jordan. He was meeting him at the line of respect. And that line didn’t bend — not for six rings, not for Olympic gold, and not for the Jumpman logo.
It’s a throwback mentality. An era where rivalries mattered, where players didn’t dap each other up before tip-off. And for Childs, suiting up in a Knicks jersey meant you were ready for war. Every. Single. Night.
Even if that meant going at MJ.
“I played golf with Michael when I retired,” Childs shared. “When I was living in Miami, we played golf together. But one thing that I have never strayed away from is speaking my mind and telling the truth.”
The truth? It wasn’t personal. It was professional. Between the lines, Jordan was the enemy. Off the court? It was cool.
“I disliked him on the court; I disliked anybody who didn’t have a Knick jersey on,” Childs made clear. “I don’t care who it is.”
That quote right there? That’s New York.
Chris Childs is a reflection of that ‘90s Knicks DNA — hard-nosed, zero tolerance for nonsense, and never concerned about popularity contests. He didn’t try to be anyone’s friend on the hardwood, and he definitely wasn’t starstruck.
It wasn’t about hating Michael Jordan. It was about not fearing him.
And in a league that often cowered when MJ laced ‘em up, Childs made one thing clear every time he checked in:
Respect isn’t given. It’s taken.
