All of Michael Jordan's efforts to alleviate his fear became futile the moment Roger greeted him.
He didn't purposely step back; it was an unintended action because he felt threatened.
He had never feared a game his whole life, never.
Even this season, even at 40 years old, he didn't fear any opponents from before.
But would he be afraid? Of course, because Michael Jordan is not truly a god. He chose to retire back then because he feared being unable to defeat Roger, which would further diminish his career stature.
It wasn't a simple act of letting go, it was a helpless acceptance of the reality of defeat.
During the bloody years of the 90s, at the peak of his time, Michael Jordan assembled competitive rosters time and time again, yet never won against Roger, not even once.
This was enough to cause permanent damage to Michael Jordan's inner self.
You know, even after losing multiple years to the Pistons, Jordan could still tell himself "The future holds hope."
