Silver takes Jordan's 'superteam' comment with grain of salt
Adam Silver doesn't agree with Michael Jordan's stance on superteams.
The NBA commissioner found it laughable that the Chicago Bulls legend and Charlotte Hornets owner expects only one or two teams to be great this season while the other 28 teams are "garbage."
"I chuckled a little bit because this notion that maybe the most competitive athlete in the history of all sports is frustrated, maybe a little bit, that his team isn't predicted to win the championship this year, so I take it with a bit of a grain of salt," Silver said Monday on ESPN's "Mike and Mike."
"And also, here's a guy who in his last six full seasons as a Chicago Bull won the championship. So at the time, of course everyone defined that Bulls team as a superteam. I think there's a recognition that in this sport, that with combinations of certain players, they're going to be superior. And to me, as I said toward the end of last season, we should celebrate excellence."
Related: Silver doesn't take issue with NBA's 'competitive balance'
The Golden State Warriors are closer to Jordan's Bulls than any squad, as they boast four All-Stars (including two recent MVPs) in their prime: Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant. Steve Kerr's men have captured two of the last three titles, and are heavily favored to win it all again.
Related - Thompson: Warriors 'aspire' to be dynasty like Jordan's Bulls
While many would love to see that collection of talent disperse, Silver once again defended the Warriors, who he maintains built their core largely through the draft and "raise the bar for all teams in the league."
Silver also said he understands where Jordan's criticism comes from, as the Hall of Famer serves as chairman of the league's labor relations committee and thus is concerned with putting the most competitive product on the floor.