Michael Jordan (Image Source: Getty Images)
Former Chicago Bulls player Stacey King disputes the consensus that Kobe Bryant most closely resembles Michael Jordan. On the most recent episode of her ‘Gimme The Hot Sauce’ Podcast, he said Ron Harper was the closest before his injury.

Additionally, King thinks that Harper, the episode’s guest, was the only player who qualified as a Jordan stopper. The guy acknowledges that the most one could do was restrict the Bulls legend, but he doesn’t go so far as to suggest he could stop him.

King said, “Ron was the most exciting player in the league, under MJ. I mean it was like 1 and 1A… When you start talking about Kobe being the closest one. No, people forget Ron Harper before injury was about the closest thing that we had seen to an MJ.

King added, “They had all these other guys, ‘Oh this guy’s supposed to be this guy.’ No, Ron Harper was the closest because not only was he a great scorer, he was a hell of a defensive player and he took challenges. Going up against Michael Jordan, he gave Michael fits.” (starts at 12:20)

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Harper with the eighth pick of the 1986 NBA Draft, and it was immediately apparent that he had what it required to succeed in the league. As a rookie, he averaged 22.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks a game, which was impressive.

Michael Jordan And Ron Harper Are One Of The Greatest Backcourt Duos Of All Time

Ron Harper was never quite the same after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and damaged cartilage in January 1990. In the years that followed, he continued to play for the Clippers at a respectable level (20.1 PPG in 1993–94), and you have to wonder how much better he might have been had it not been for that terrible injury.

Harper became a defensive-minded guard with the Bulls after joining them in 1994. He performed admirably in that capacity, and the two of them made up one of the NBA’s top defensive backcourts when Michael Jordan returned from retirement the following season. They are regarded as one of the best backcourt teams of all time and would go on to win three consecutive titles between 1996 and 1998.