Former NBA guard Chris Childs is known for his no-nonsense style of play, but one moment from early in his career still stands out — the night he was assigned to guard Michael Jordan.
Speaking to NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, Childs recalled how then-New Jersey Nets coach Butch Beard gave him a surprise assignment off the bench.
“I wasn’t starting at the time,” Childs said, “and Butch put me in and told me, ‘You got Mike.’ I said, ‘Alright, no problem.’”
For a young player still fighting for minutes, it was a defining challenge: match up against the NBA’s most dominant figure.
Jordan, then at the peak of his powers, stood three inches taller and had a height and skill advantage over most defenders.
But Childs, a 6-foot-3 guard with a reputation for physical defense, relied on strategy.
“I knew I had to get him off his spot and use my strength,” Childs explained. “If he got me down around 12 feet, he’d shoot over me, so I had to push him out to 15 or 17.”
Rather than try to outplay Jordan, Childs aimed to disrupt his rhythm and force him out of his comfort zone.
The approach paid off, at least briefly, in one memorable sequence.
“He did a move, and I knocked the ball out of his hand,” Childs said. “He looked at the bench and asked Paul Silas, ‘Who is this b****?’”
Silas, then a Nets assistant, didn’t hesitate with a reply: “At the end of the game, you’re gonna know who he is!”
The moment, laced with competitiveness and bravado, captured what it took to earn Jordan’s respect — toughness, confidence, and execution under pressure.
Childs played nine NBA seasons with the Nets, Knicks, and Raptors, earning a reputation as a gritty defender and reliable floor leader.
While he never claimed to stop Jordan, Childs proved he belonged by competing without fear.
In a league where reputations are often built on how players respond to pressure, this was Childs’ moment of validation.
And for a guard who thrived on physical play and discipline, standing up to Jordan was a badge of honor he never forgot.
