Michael Jordan, the man many believe was the greatest basketball player ever (He was. Sorry Kobe and LeBron boosters) is being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Friday.

Jordan, who in his heyday transcended sports to become an iconic global marketing powerhouse, may be slightly thicker than during his playing days, but he retained all the confident charm we remember from the glory years with the Chicago Bulls, the team he led to six NBA championships.

At a press conference in Springfield, Mass. filled with journalists still clearly awed by his presence, His Airness who Larry Bird once described as "God in basketball shoes" admitted that he was often tough on his teammates.

But that was only because, unlike his fellow Bulls of the championship runs who joined the team after its ascent began, he recalled how bad things were in 1984 when he was drafted.

"I came there when it was 6,000 people in the stands. And most of the people that were coming towards the end of my career (were) there when the building was being sold out every single night. So I didn't want them (his teammates) to misunderstand where the Bulls came from and where we were and how hard the fight was to get there.

So I was a little bit more animated, a little more strong-voiced and strong-handed if you want to say it that way, too. But at the end of the day, my team mates, if they can every say anything about me, you know, we won.

Everytime I have a conversation with Tex Winters (then a Bulls assistant coach) who is an unbelievable coach, Tex, I remember one game coming off the floor and I scored 20 points in a row to win the game. Tex reminded me that there's no "I" in team. And I looked back at Tex and said "There's "I" in win. So, whichever way you want it."