Michael Phelps: I was an 'asshole' like Michael Jordan

Watching "The Last Dance" has made Michael Phelps realize how similar he and Michael Jordan are when it comes to their competitiveness.

In an interview with Yahoo Sports, the 23-time Olympic gold medalist said he would challenge fellow swimmers the way Jordan challenged his Chicago Bulls teammates.

"It's pretty wild watching him in this documentary because there are so many similarities to me," Phelps said. "I guess to put it quite blunt, everyone's saying he was an asshole, but I would say the same thing about myself. I was an asshole when I was training because I wanted to help everybody make sure they had the same exact chances I had.

"We're all in there working together as a team. Even though it's an individual sport, we want the best for each other. So I'm gonna challenge them and I'm gonna make sure that they're getting stressed in practice that they're gonna face in a meet."

Jordan made a similar statement while discussing his leadership style in "The Last Dance."

That competitive nature served both athletes well, as Jordan won six NBA championships with the Bulls and Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time.