In the acclaimed documentary *The Last Dance*, Michael Jordan addressed the drug issues that plagued many of his early teammates with the Chicago Bulls. This problem was a significant barrier to the team’s success during Jordan’s initial years in the NBA. The franchise eventually resolved the issue by replacing problematic players with a more supportive cast, enabling Jordan to secure six NBA titles.
However, former Seattle SuperSonics star Shawn Kemp believes that one of those controversial teammates played a crucial role in Jordan’s development.
“I played with a guy many years ago, this motherf***** here, I think he taught Michael Jordan how to play. It was Quintin Dailey. I think he was the one that kinda helped Michael Jordan balance his offensive game when they were in Chicago,” Kemp said during his appearance on the *All The Smoke* podcast.
The Complex Relationship Between Jordan and Dailey
Quintin Dailey, the Bulls’ seventh overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft, was the team’s second-leading scorer behind Orlando Woolridge before Jordan joined the roster. Despite his talent, Dailey’s involvement in drug use made him expendable once Jordan arrived in Chicago.
Nonetheless, Dailey played alongside Jordan for two seasons, during which Jordan took over Dailey’s position as the starting shooting guard. In Jordan’s rookie season, Dailey still managed to average 16.0 points per game and finished sixth in the Sixth Man of the Year voting.
In his book *Driven from Within*, Jordan mentioned that he could never form close friendships with Woolridge and Dailey because he overshadowed them. However, former Bulls center Dave Corzine once noted that Dailey “held his own” against Jordan during practice. Considering Dailey’s more diverse offensive skill set at the time, it’s plausible that Jordan picked up some valuable techniques from the player he replaced.
### Dailey’s Career Post-Bulls
After the 1985-86 season, the Bulls chose not to re-sign Dailey, who then started the next season in the CBA. The Los Angeles Clippers eventually took a chance on him, and he played three seasons with them, averaging 13.7 points per game. When the Clippers began rebuilding in 1989, Dailey joined the Seattle SuperSonics, where he played alongside Kemp.
“He used to say little things to me,” Kemp recalled. “Like instead of shooting the ball, get to the paint. Put a body on them, and work on your mid-range game. All that little sh**.”
Dailey played 71 games across three seasons with the Sonics, coinciding with Kemp’s early years in the league. Kemp insists that his game benefited significantly from Dailey’s guidance. While Jordan has yet to publicly acknowledge any influence from Dailey, Kemp’s observations suggest that the controversial ex-Bull may have played a role in shaping the basketball legend’s early career.