"Why would he ever want to trash-talk me? He probably felt sorry for me" - Scott Brooks on guarding Michael Jordan as a rookie

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As a player, Scott Brooks was a journeyman. In his decade-long career in the league, during which he didn’t start a single game, the ‘Wonderdog’ featured on six different teams in eight seasons.

However, despite only averaging 4.9 points per game and logging more personal fouls per game than rebounds, the 5’11” point guard did manage to win an NBA championship in 1994 with the Houston Rockets.

Apart from that triumph, the highlights of Brooks' NBA run were games against Michael Jordan. In one of those, Scottie became one of the few guys to whom MJ showed mercy.

Brooks on facing Jordan for the first time

During the 1988-89 season, on November 15, the Philadelphia 76ers traveled to Chicago to play the Bulls. That's when a 23-year-old Brooks got an opportunity to face 'His Airness.'

Unsurprisingly, the Bulls legend outplayed everyone who guarded him that night en route to 33 points on 14-of-27 shooting from the field. However, when Scott was on him, Mike would pass the ball around to his teammates, despite having a significant height advantage over the Sixers guard.

"The greatest thing is, he knew he could do whatever he wanted to do, but he just made a simple pass to the next guy over. He didn't even try to score on me," Scott said, as quoted by Sports Casting. "So that's my claim to fame."

"He felt sorry for me"

Why did Jordan take it easy on Brooks? According to the former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach, it's because the Bulls’ shooting guard felt sorry for him.

"He never trash-talked me, but I don’t think I was ever a concern for him," the retired guard added. “I don't think I could ever get under his skin anyway. Why would he ever want to trash-talk me? He probably felt sorry for me."

That being said, players, regardless of their size, were at their best when facing MJ. They had to be in order to stand any chance against them. However, Brooks was one of the few who was left off the hook. That's one thing that will always stand out in his NBA career as a player.