Michael Jordan was recently recognized as the NBA legend who possessed no weaknesses.

Michael Jordan was recently recognized as the NBA legend who possessed no weaknesses. While his flawless Finals record and 1990s dominance often paint him as unbeatable, Jordan’s rise to the top was far from instant. It wasn’t until his seventh season that he finally lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Like many greats, he had to endure years of setbacks, often losing to the era’s established stars before breaking through. These early defeats, though painful, helped shape him into one of the greatest players in history.

In the 1980s, Jordan faced multiple rivals while cementing himself as the league’s premier talent, including Isiah Thomas’ Detroit Pistons and Magic Johnson’s “Showtime” Lakers. In fact, his first six playoff runs ended in elimination—five of those losses coming at the hands of just two teams. Three were against Thomas’ Pistons, and two of his first three postseason exits were courtesy of another top-ten all-time great. In 1987, before back-to-back playoff sweeps against this player, Jordan made some unusual remarks.