I remember watching Michael Jordan for the first time as a nine-year-old during game one of the 1992 NBA Finals when the Chicago Bulls took on the Portland Trailblazers. It was in that contest that Jordan nailed six three-pointers in the first half of a performance simply known as the “Shrug” game in NBA lore. At this point I became perpetually hooked on watching Jordan play and am thankful that I was able to during his unbelievable prime.
I was as excited as millions of others when his likeness in a Bulls uniform finally arrived on the cover of the NBA2K video game this past year, despite the fact that several legends including Rick Barry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain are not featured.
Instead of just writing a tribute piece on Michael Jordan, reverberating the same old praise and statistics, I decided to put down my five favorite games I ever watched MJ play. A couple of them don’t register as his greatest outings but hold a special place in how I felt while watching them.
For instance, since I rarely watched NBA games for a variety of reasons from 1996-1998 they are not among those listed. I regret missing those, believe me!
Before I continue, is the look on Clifford Robinson’s face in that picture absolutely priceless, or what? Talk about an incredulous and defeated expression!
Now, in no particular order….
#1. Chicago Bulls (122) vs. Portland Trailer Blazers (89) – June 3, 1992 (FINALS)
Jordan’s stat line: 39 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Yes, Mr. Jordan, you had me from hello. I was taught that you were evil and a one-dimensional scorer by my Celtics-loving parents (no harm, no foul) so I paid you no attention until Larry Bird was aged beyond reason and his back proved incapable of surviving another campaign. I’m glad I watched this game and appreciated your performance.
I remember so vividly humming the NBC intro tune while laying flat on my stomach in front of the TV waiting for the game to start. Please bring that music back, NBC!
This game basically cemented Jordan into NBA Finals lore and Portland was pretty much knocked out at the opening bell of this series. Chicago played with such precision on offense and intensity on defense that Clyde Drexler and company were suffocated. Scottie Pippen was brilliant in this one, nearly recording a triple-double and providing lock-down defense that is just now being fully appreciated.
Video footage of the game here.
#2. Chicago Bulls (111) vs. Phoenix Suns (105) – June 16, 1993 (FINALS)
Jordan’s stat line: 55 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists
I still to this day can’t believe the range of difficulty on many of Jordan’s shots in this game. Phoenix played some pretty tough defense in this one, as hand-checking was allowed then, but Jordan just rose above and around the Suns for 55 points on 21-37 field goals.
I actually thought Phoenix was going to pull this one out as Barkley was simply remarkable (32 pts, 12 reb, 10 ast), but it was not to be.
Jordan was at the peak of his powers. It turned out to be the final season before his 1995 comeback.
Video footage of the game here.
#3. Chicago Bulls (96) vs. Indiana Pacers (103) – March 19, 1995
Jordan’s stat line: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals
What true basketball fan was not watching his comeback game? Definitely not one of his best as he shot a miserable 7-28 from the floor – I remember watching him and thinking “Wow, he looks nervous”. Many of us, even after one game, wondered if he indeed was past his prime.
Big mistake, everyone.
I still have the Sports Illustrated issue with him announcing his comeback and collected every basketball card commemorating his decision. It was that important.
Video footage of the game here.
#4. Chicago Bulls (108) vs. Charlotte Hornets (100) – April 28, 1995 (PLAYOFFS)
Jordan’s stat line: 48 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal and 1 block
There was so much hype coming into this game via Alonzo Mourning talking trash to MJ (who does that?) about his age and ineffectiveness. Charlotte was an up and coming team then and had won fifty regular season games and earned home-court advantage in the first round.
I was still very young at this point and remember Jordan’s incredibly focused look during pre-game introductions. He came out unbelievably aggressive and hit 18-32 field goals that day. David Wingate and Hersey Hawkins should have been cussing Mourning out for weeks considering they, not him, ended up defending his “Airness”.
Of course, the Bulls lost in the next round to the Magic, but the aura around that game was surreal.
Video footage of the game here.
#5. Washington Wizards (98) vs. Atlanta Hawks (88)– November 1, 2001
Jordan’s stat line: 31 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals
I can’t even explain how psyched I was and how anticipated this game was in my household.
Those of us who were fans of Jordan over the years couldn’t wait to see him play again regardless of the uniform change and, in the first game my brother and I watched during his second comeback, he proved his critics wrong.
He was slower and couldn’t jump as high but there was an electricity surrounding his performance that people soon forgot because #23 wasn’t with the Bulls. How unfortunate.
Video footage of the game here.
There were plenty of other games I watched where I was in awe of Jordan’s abilities - the 98 Finals finale, a playoff game against the Wizards where he hit this ridiculous, falling out of bounds fadeaway in the first round, when he scored 41 points in the preseason with the Wizards, and several games where Jordan assisted on the game-winning bucket - but these have always stood out to me.
For the past ten years many have tried to follow and none have quite met the challenge of matching your legend. I may not have always agreed with your off-court decisions but as a player, considering I missed the Bird/Magic days, you were the best I ever watched live, and in the moment.
Even now, I almost wish you would come back. Almost…
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