Horace Grant on Michael Jordan: ‘That’s a damn snitch right there’

The supposedly shocking footage in “The Last Dance” wasn’t that shocking. By this point, people knew Michael Jordan could be a jerk, especially to his Bulls teammates.

But that was a revelation when Sam Smith published “The Jordan Rules,” the 1993 book that blew the lid off Jordan’s more-pristine image.

Of course, that book came up in “The Last Dance.”

Michael Jordan:

I didn’t contribute to that. That was Horace. He was telling everything that was happening within the group.

Will Perdue:

As we started winning championships, and everybody talked about Michael, and everybody talked about everybody else, I mean that really pissed off Horace. He felt slighted. He was in Michael’s shadow.

Horace Grant:

No. Not one thing have I ever divulged to Sam Smith about my relationship with my former teammates. A lot of people – because Sam and I have a great relationship – use me as a scapegoat. And so be it.

Apparently, Grant had more to say than what was shown in that scene in the Jordan-controlled documentary.

Grant on ESPN, via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago:

“As I stated to everybody, that is a downright, outright, complete lie. Lie, lie, lie. And as I stated, if MJ has a grudge with me, let’s talk about it or we can settle it another way. But yet still, he goes out and puts this lie out that I was the source,” Grant told Kaplan, who also works for NBC Sports Chicago. “Sam and I have always been great friends. We still are great friends. But the sanctity of that locker room, I would never put anything personal out there. The mere fact that Sam Smith was an investigative reporter, that he had to have two sources to write a book, why would MJ just point me out, Ok? It’s only a grudge man, I’m telling you.

“During this so-called documentary, if you say something about him, he’s gonna cut you off. He’s gonna try to destroy your character. I mean, Charles Barkley, they’ve been friends for over 20, 30 years and he said something about Michael’s management with the Charlotte Hornets and then they haven’t spoken since then.

“My point is that he said I was the snitch but yet still after 30, 35 years, he brings up his rookie year going into one of his teammate’s rooms and seeing coke and weed and women. Why the hell did he want to bring that up? What’s that got to do with anything? I mean, if you want to call somebody a snitch, that’s a damn snitch right there.”

WOW. Tell us how you really feel, Horace.

Many people give information to reporters. Many of those same people deny giving information to reporters. Did Grant give information to Smith? Don’t know. Don’t really care.

Smith had many sources for the well-reported book. It’s silly to single out Grant.

Grant raises fair points. There is a double standard for Jordan revealing team stories. Jordan can dish out criticism far better than he take it, as the Barkley situation shows.

Yet, none of this is surprising – particularly that Jordan and Grant are still engaged in this back-and-forth. It has lasted years.

An Orlando Sentinel excerpt of “The Jordan Rules” included this exchange:

“All you care about is your points, and everyone knows it,” Grant told Jordan. “You don’t care about anything but yourself.”

“You’re an idiot,” Jordan screamed at Grant. “You’ve screwed up every play we ever ran. You’re too stupid to even remember the plays. We ought to get rid of you.”

In Game 3 of Chicago’s second-round series against the 76ers in 1991, Grant got into an emotional argument with coach Phil Jackson then brooded on the bench. A Chicago Tribune excerpt of “The Jordan Rules":

Jordan moved over, and Grant grabbed at his hand. Later Grant would tell teammates he was trying to break it.