Completed Event: Men's Basketball at UNLV on February 7, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 80
M Basketball
at UNLV
L 78-80
Grand Canyon University Athletics
GCU analyst recalls Jordan years
4/26/2020 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
Williams began NBA as locker neighbors, won 3 NBA titles
One of the best seats in sports these days is a chair in front of "The Last Dance," ESPN's 10-part documentary that takes viewers behind the scenes of Michael Jordan's career.
Grand Canyon basketball television analyst Scott Williams once had an even better seat for it, spending his rookie season in the locker next to Jordan as Chicago Bulls teammates on Jordan's first championship team in 1990-91.
Whether they are Jordan fanatics or were born after he retired in 2003, viewers have been enraptured by an inside look at how greatness is wired. Williams enjoyed the most rare Jordan perspective as one of four players (along with Jerry Stackhouse, Brendan Haywood and Larry Hughes) to be teammates with Jordan (1990-94 in Chicago) and LeBron James (2004-05 in Cleveland).
"Michael has more of that killer instinct on that court," Williams said. "Like, 'I don't want to just beat you. That's not good enough. I want to win where I take your still-beating heart out of your chest and show it to everyone in the arena that I'm the best player on the floor.' "
Williams' career was more deeply impacted by Jordan than most players. Jordan helped give Williams his break into the league as an undrafted player and created the demanding, professional culture that Williams credits for his 15-year NBA career.
Jordan returned to his college, North Carolina, periodically for summer pickup games with current and former Tar Heels during Williams' UNC career (1986-90). After Williams went unselected in the 1990 NBA draft, Jordan invited Williams to play in a game of mostly pros that childhood friend and now Charlotte Hornets president Fred Whitfield arranged annually for Achievements Unlimited youth campers in nearby Greensboro.
"Michael was just as intense, which is really bizarre," said Williams, who has worked on GCU basketball broadcasts since 2014. "You think you're going to this event where guys are putting on a show for young campers. You think you're just going to pass the ball around and it's going to NBA All-Star type of competition. But MJ was like, 'If you're not here to compete, there's the door.' He brought everyone in the locker room and let them know we were going to play a real game."
Williams played well enough in the game that Jordan implored Bulls general manager Jerry Krause to invite Williams for a summer tryout. Williams outlasted six other candidates for one open Chicago roster spot and wound up crushed by media throngs in the locker next to the world's most popular athlete.
"That wasn't a good thing, trust me," Williams said. "That was the locker nobody else wanted."
Williams was a rookie joining a veteran-laden Bulls club that was determined to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs after being eliminated by Detroit in the previous three postseasons. Every game and practice mattered to toughen the Bulls.
"MJ was just as intense from training camp through the final preparation for our final game in Los Angeles," Williams said. "The guy's competitive nature is almost a sickness for how hard he goes in every drill, whether it's on one-on-one, two-on-two or five-on-five. He just doesn't know how to dial it down."
Williams saw that physical and verbal intensity unravel other players' confidence, such as Dennis Hopson going from averaging 15.8 points for New Jersey in 1989-90 to 4.3 for Chicago in 1990-91 and out of the league in 1992.
The flip side was that Jordan also nurtured Williams, inviting him to family spaghetti dinners when he knew nobody in Chicago and was three years removed from losing his parents.
On the court, Williams followed Jordan's lead for professionalism, responsibility and preparation. During Williams' rookie season, Jordan kept him after practices for post-up only games because he wanted to counter how the Pistons drained his energy with contact on his drives. Chicago swept Detroit in the 1991 Eastern Conferernce finals.
Off the court, Williams learned the value of relationships with franchise staff and volunteer work.
"That was the reason that I played 15 years," said Williams, who won three world championships with Jordan in four Bulls seasons. "There are more talented players but they don't get in the correct situation from the beginning to learn how to be a pro."
Reliving history through "The Last Dance" has been a blast for Williams, who is contributing to another basketball documentary, "The Greatest Pickup Game Ever," that is being produced in hopes of piggybacking on the interest. It will focus on those unseen games that Whitfield organized with Jordan and other pros for camp children.
Williams has an 18-year-old son, Ben, and a 17-year-old daughter, Ava, and has served as executive vice president of Anytime Media & Security in Phoenix since 2015.
He has paired with play-by-play announcer Barry Buetel on the television call of GCU basketball games for the past six seasons, often entertaining the Havocs student section with pregame half-court shots.
"I really have enjoyed myself," Williams said. "The passion that the college kids play with is refreshing. In my last coaching in the NBA in Milwaukee, I was around some real knuckleheads and it was refreshing to be around some GCU players who really thirsted to improve. And, of course, you can't beat that game-day experience at GCU Arena. It is just an atmosphere like no other."
Grand Canyon basketball television analyst Scott Williams once had an even better seat for it, spending his rookie season in the locker next to Jordan as Chicago Bulls teammates on Jordan's first championship team in 1990-91.
Whether they are Jordan fanatics or were born after he retired in 2003, viewers have been enraptured by an inside look at how greatness is wired. Williams enjoyed the most rare Jordan perspective as one of four players (along with Jerry Stackhouse, Brendan Haywood and Larry Hughes) to be teammates with Jordan (1990-94 in Chicago) and LeBron James (2004-05 in Cleveland).
"Michael has more of that killer instinct on that court," Williams said. "Like, 'I don't want to just beat you. That's not good enough. I want to win where I take your still-beating heart out of your chest and show it to everyone in the arena that I'm the best player on the floor.' "Williams' career was more deeply impacted by Jordan than most players. Jordan helped give Williams his break into the league as an undrafted player and created the demanding, professional culture that Williams credits for his 15-year NBA career.
Jordan returned to his college, North Carolina, periodically for summer pickup games with current and former Tar Heels during Williams' UNC career (1986-90). After Williams went unselected in the 1990 NBA draft, Jordan invited Williams to play in a game of mostly pros that childhood friend and now Charlotte Hornets president Fred Whitfield arranged annually for Achievements Unlimited youth campers in nearby Greensboro.
"Michael was just as intense, which is really bizarre," said Williams, who has worked on GCU basketball broadcasts since 2014. "You think you're going to this event where guys are putting on a show for young campers. You think you're just going to pass the ball around and it's going to NBA All-Star type of competition. But MJ was like, 'If you're not here to compete, there's the door.' He brought everyone in the locker room and let them know we were going to play a real game."
Williams played well enough in the game that Jordan implored Bulls general manager Jerry Krause to invite Williams for a summer tryout. Williams outlasted six other candidates for one open Chicago roster spot and wound up crushed by media throngs in the locker next to the world's most popular athlete.
"That wasn't a good thing, trust me," Williams said. "That was the locker nobody else wanted."
Williams was a rookie joining a veteran-laden Bulls club that was determined to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs after being eliminated by Detroit in the previous three postseasons. Every game and practice mattered to toughen the Bulls.
"MJ was just as intense from training camp through the final preparation for our final game in Los Angeles," Williams said. "The guy's competitive nature is almost a sickness for how hard he goes in every drill, whether it's on one-on-one, two-on-two or five-on-five. He just doesn't know how to dial it down."
Williams saw that physical and verbal intensity unravel other players' confidence, such as Dennis Hopson going from averaging 15.8 points for New Jersey in 1989-90 to 4.3 for Chicago in 1990-91 and out of the league in 1992.
The flip side was that Jordan also nurtured Williams, inviting him to family spaghetti dinners when he knew nobody in Chicago and was three years removed from losing his parents.
On the court, Williams followed Jordan's lead for professionalism, responsibility and preparation. During Williams' rookie season, Jordan kept him after practices for post-up only games because he wanted to counter how the Pistons drained his energy with contact on his drives. Chicago swept Detroit in the 1991 Eastern Conferernce finals.
Off the court, Williams learned the value of relationships with franchise staff and volunteer work.
"That was the reason that I played 15 years," said Williams, who won three world championships with Jordan in four Bulls seasons. "There are more talented players but they don't get in the correct situation from the beginning to learn how to be a pro."
Reliving history through "The Last Dance" has been a blast for Williams, who is contributing to another basketball documentary, "The Greatest Pickup Game Ever," that is being produced in hopes of piggybacking on the interest. It will focus on those unseen games that Whitfield organized with Jordan and other pros for camp children.
Williams has an 18-year-old son, Ben, and a 17-year-old daughter, Ava, and has served as executive vice president of Anytime Media & Security in Phoenix since 2015.
He has paired with play-by-play announcer Barry Buetel on the television call of GCU basketball games for the past six seasons, often entertaining the Havocs student section with pregame half-court shots.
"I really have enjoyed myself," Williams said. "The passion that the college kids play with is refreshing. In my last coaching in the NBA in Milwaukee, I was around some real knuckleheads and it was refreshing to be around some GCU players who really thirsted to improve. And, of course, you can't beat that game-day experience at GCU Arena. It is just an atmosphere like no other."
I don't remember when we all got together for this photo but I love it. I learned so much from each of them.
— Scott Williams NBA (@scottwill42) April 20, 2020
MJ, Cartwright & Pax taught me what the PRO in professional really meant. Horace & Pip taught me the ropes of the game.pic.twitter.com/D0URujfe07
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