"I wanna be like Mike" - Kobe Bryant

(Feel free to replace the name, Kobe Bryant, anywhere the name, Michael Jordan appears)

In 1994, Jack Madden, recognized as one of the best referees in history, retired after having presided over 35 NBA Finals games. He continues to follow the sport closely, and we checked in with Madden for his views on refereeing a Bulls-Jazz series.

SI: Fans and players have the perception that referees are ready with a makeup call when a clearly bad call has been made on the other end of the floor. Is that true?

Madden: No, that's a myth. If we did that, we'd make a travesty of the game. We're human. Sometimes we miss calls. But if we called a makeup for everything we missed, we'd be trying to even the score all night.

SI: So is it also a myth that Michael Jordan gets away with more than most players?

Madden: There's some truth to that. Michael Jordan is the greatest player I've ever seen. He's so quick with his feet that he gets away with walking an unbelievable number of times, especially when he's in the post, with his back to the basket.

SI: Why don't officials call it?

Madden: Sometimes his feet move too fast [for the official to detect the violation], and sometimes the refs are concentrating on what the defensive player is doing.

SI: Did you nail Jordan for traveling?

Madden: All the time. He got upset about it, too. I think he hated to see me walk into the gym.

SI: Does Jordan intimidate officials?

Madden: He intimidates the younger referees. He gets in their faces, and that can be tough for a new guy. Obviously Jordan intimidates players and coaches, so you can see how it would happen with some refs. But not the veterans. They've heard it all before.

SI: What about John Stockton? His opponents claim he's a dirty player.

Madden: I never saw that. He's very smart, very competitive, and other guys are jealous because he's so great for his size.

SI: When you officiated, what did you look for with Stockton?

Madden: We'd probably concentrate on how he was setting screens. He sets a lot of them during a game. Some are moving screens—but not as many as opposing teams think.

SI: Do the Bulls get more calls in their favor, the way many felt the great Celtics teams did?

Madden: I laugh when I hear that. People don't realize that when you're the better team, you are better in every way, including how you execute. The great teams deserve all the breaks and calls they get.

Issue date: June 15, 1998