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I’m the giant from “The Nightmare” who won the NBA title with Michael Jordan, played with Charles Barkley and Larry Bird and scared the Pistons. I now own successful barbecue restaurants.

Joe Kleine has won at every level, from college to the Olympics and the NBA.

The nearly 7-foot-tall center from Slater, Mo., played at the University of Arkansas and was named Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year in 1983.

Kleine was a member of the 1998 championship-winning Bulls.

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Kleine was a member of the 1998 championship-winning Bulls.Credit: Getty

During his junior season, he helped the Razorbacks to a 25-7 record and was part of the team that upset the No. 1 ranked North Carolina Tarheels, led by Michael Jordan.

During his career at Arkansas, Kleine’s most memorable games came against future NBA legend and fellow center Hakeem Olajuwon and the University of Houston.

Olajuwon was nicknamed “the dream” while Kleine was known as “the nightmare.”

Kleine then had the honor of playing on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team alongside Jordan and eventual New York Knicks superstar Patrick Ewing.

This all-star team won the gold medal and is often considered the greatest amateur basketball team ever assembled.

Kleine was then selected sixth overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 1985 NBA draft.

The towering journeyman enjoyed a 16-year NBA career, including stints with the Celtics, Suns, Lakers, Nets, Bulls and Trail Blazers.

Kleine played with some of the biggest stars of the ’80s and ’90s, including NBA Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

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“The Nightmare” (left) performed with and against JordanCredit: AFP
He faced Charles Barkley in 1989 and became one of his teammates with the Suns in 1993.

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He faced Charles Barkley in 1989 and became one of his teammates with the Suns in 1993.Credit: Getty
Kleine also spent several years as a teammate of Larry Bird

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Kleine also spent several years as a teammate of Larry BirdCredit: Getty

The big, courageous man is best remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls.

Kleine won the 1998 world championship alongside Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.

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Chicago beat the Karl Malone-led Utah Jazz 4-2 to win their sixth title of the ’90s and second three-peat of the Jordan era.

Kleine retired in 2000 after averaging 4.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in 965 regular season games.

During his professional career, he scored 4,666 points, totaled 3,991 rebounds and made 849 free throws on 1,069 attempts.

Years later, Detroit Pistons enforcer Rasheed Wallace reflected on the fear Kleine instilled in him when he first entered the league as a Washington Bullet.

Kleine was even responsible for delivering Sheed his “Welcome to the NBA” moment.

“Yeah, I know you all remember him. Joe Kleine,” said Wallace, who won a championship with the Pistons in 2004.

“You know me,” he added. “Back then, I had to dunk. Boom! I’m running down the court.

“(Kleine said) ‘Hey, little (expletive). If you do that again, I’m going to destroy you.’

“‘Dude, whatever the dog. You ain’t gonna do nothing to me.'” Wallace allegedly responded.

“Two, three plays later we ran the same play, just a slightly different option and I’m trying to get to the rim,” Wallace continued. “I had the ball in my hand, and the next thing I know, I’m grabbing my hands to get off the ground.”

“He (Kleine) said ‘I told you! Don’t bring that (expletive) here with me!'”

62-year-old man co-owns Corky's Ribs and BBQ restaurant

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62-year-old man co-owns Corky’s Ribs and BBQ restaurantCredit: YouTube@aymagazine8602
This marks quite a career change from the former NBA champion.

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This marks quite a career change from the former NBA champion.Credit: @aymagazine8602

After his professional career ended, Kleine became a coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

The 62-year-old has also become a restaurant owner, owning a number of successful Corky’s Ribs & BBQ restaurants.

One of Kleine’s favorite dishes is fried shrimp seasoned with Cajun spices and house cocktail sauce.

Another favorite is Corky’s Half Chicken, which comes in barbecue and rotisserie styles.

“It’s cooked for two to three hours over hickory smoke, it’s flavored with barbecue sauce and rubbed. I love eating it, but I take a lot of napkins because it’s messy,” he says .

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