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Michael Jordan on NBA Superteams: '28 Teams That Are Going to Be Garbage'

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistOctober 12, 2017

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 01:  Charlotte Hornets owner, Michael Jordan, reacts after a call during their game against the Phoenix Suns at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 1, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.  (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan said in an interview with Cigar Aficionado that he is concerned about the NBA's superteam era.

"I think it's going to hurt the overall aspect of the league from a competitive standpoint," he said (h/t Ben Golliver of SI.com). "You're going to have one or two teams that are going to be great, and another 28 teams that are going to be garbage. Or they're going to have a tough time surviving in the business environment."

Jordan also said in the interview that he smokes six cigars a day (h/t Daniel Rapaport of SI.com) and elaborated on the never-ending debate of which player is the greatest in NBA history.

"I never played against Wilt Chamberlain," he noted. "I never played against Jerry West. To now say that one's greater than the other is being a little bit unfair...I won six championships. Bill Russell won 11. Does that make Bill Russell better than me or make me better than him? No, because we played in different eras."

He also spoke about why he doesn't desire to coach.

"I have no patience for coaching," he said. "My biggest problem from a competitive standpoint is the focus of today's athlete. For me to ask an individual to focus on the game the way I played would, in some ways, be unfair. And if he didn't do it, there's no telling where my emotions would be."

As for Jordan's comments about 28 teams being garbage this season, it's unclear which two teams he believes will be great.

More than likely, one of those teams is the defending champion Golden State Warriors. Is the second team LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers? A Boston Celtics team with a fascinating young core led by Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward? The Houston Rockets, led by Chris Paul, James Harden and one of the league's most dangerous offenses? The trio of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony in Oklahoma City? The always dangerous San Antonio Spurs behind Kawhi Leonard and head coach Gregg Popovich?

While the superteam trend has absolutely brought on its own set of concerns in recent years—and while another Warriors title feels like an inevitability barring major injuries to the team—the crazy 2017 offseason set up an NBA season that would appear to have more than a few excellent teams.