Historical Spotlight Series: Michael Jordan, Part 2 | The Comeback & Second 3-Peat
Like most legendary players, Michael Jordan wasn’t satisfied with just one win. He wanted to stay at the top for as long as possible and relied on his drive, work ethic, and competitiveness to keep improving towards success. While he faced some challenges along the way, he continued to persevere to play the sport he loved. His performance on the court was a testament to all the sacrifice, training, and time he put in to be number one. Join me as we continue the Historical Spotlight Series on Michael Jordan.
Before we jump into things, I’d like to mention just a quick disclaimer. If you haven’t already watched the previous part, make sure you pause this video and catch up before continuing since this video will pick up right where that one ended.
As with most greats, Michael has always faced critics and with each new level he has risen to, he seems to get more and more hate. Even when he was a rookie, veteran players didn’t like the amount of attention he received and refused to pass him the ball during the All-Star game. Players came up with specific “Jordan Rules” which included double and triple teaming him to limit his scoring. Even his jersey was stolen and he had to wear a nameless No. 12 jersey against the Orlando Magic on February 14, 1990.
Sometimes the pressure of his massive stardom became too much. He announced his first retirement on October 6, 1993 after not only the traumatic loss of his father just three months earlier, but from the physical and mental exhaustion from the sport and his status. His decision sent shockwaves across the country, but not as much as the news that he intended to play baseball as a new challenge.
He signed a Minor League Baseball contract with the White Sox on February 7, 1994 after deciding to go after the dream of his father, who always envisioned his son as an MLB player. Because the White Sox were owned by the Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Michael’s basketball contract was honored during the years he played baseball. He ended his baseball career with the Birmingham Barons batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in, 30 stolen bases, 114 strikeouts, 51 bases on balls, and 11 errors.
On March 18, 1995, Michael announced his return to basketball with his infamous “I’m back” press release. He chose to wear No. 45, his baseball number, and scored 19 points against the Indiana Pacers in his first game back. Despite taking 18 months completely away from the sport, he played well and led the team to another Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance.
The next season, Michael trained rigorously to get back to excellence. The team added Dennis Rodman and dominated their competition to end the regular season with a 72-10 record. Similar to his first run, he led the league in scoring with 30.4 points per game and won both the regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards. They defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in six games to win their fourth championship.
In the 1996-97 season, the team finished two games shy of another 70-win season and faced the Utah Jazz in the Finals. Game 5 of this series produced one of the most iconic, and memorable, moments of Michael Jordan lore - “The Flu Game”. Despite being feverish and dehydrated from a stomach virus, Jordan scored 38 points to give the Bulls the edge over the Jazz in the series.
Michael secured a fifth regular season MVP award and honors for All-NBA First Team, First Defensive Team, and the All-Star Game MVP in the next season. After surviving a tough series against the Pacers, they advanced to face the Jazz again in the Finals. He put on one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history in Game 6 to secure the victory and his sixth NBA championship.
After retiring for the second time on January 13, 1999, he returned to the NBA just one year later as part owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards, thus transitioning him from player to business executive in a heartbeat. He controlled all aspects of the organization’s operations and had the final say in all personnel matters.
He decided to hire Doug Collins as the coach before announcing his return as a player on September 25, 2001. In response to the 9/11 attacks earlier that month, he donated his salary to the victims. Jordan led the team in scoring, assists, and steals before suffering from torn cartilage in his right knee and subsequent knee soreness. He battled the injury throughout the season and only played 60 games.
He bounced back in subsequent years and played in his 14th and final All-Star Game in 2003. He was the only Washington player to play in all 82 games that year. He made history by being the first 40 year old player to score 43 points in an NBA game on February 21, 2003. While he was with the Wizards, he helped bring them into relevance as every home game was sold out and they were the most watched team in the league.
2002-2003 was his official last season as an NBA player. There were tributes and ceremonies across the nation to honor him and teams he never even played for retired his jersey. He played in his final game on April 16, 2003 in Philadelphia.
Jordan broke records over his 15 seasons as a dominant ball player, however, he had a life and other interests outside of the arena that also kept him busy. Make sure to join me for the third and final installment of the Historical Spotlight Series and see just how he used his fame and glory to better the world.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
