CLEVELAND - Michael Jordan is an American icon and a basketball hero. On the court and off, he was the quintessential competitor and the most revered figure in all of sports.Today marks yet another of his watershed moments.
Jordan returned to pro basketball 14 years ago today following a shockingly unexpected early retirement from the NBA. He had played nine remarkable seasons for the Chicago Bulls and was coming off a 3rd straight NBA championship season that also earned him his 7th consecutive scoring title, third steals title and yet another Finals MVP.
Then he walked away.
MJ crushed the sports nation at large when, on October 6, 1993, he retired just two days before training camp began. He stayed away for nearly 18 months while pursuing a career in major league baseball. Alas, he never made it past the minor leagues and even still had major difficulting finding his way on the field.
When Major League Baseball went on strike in the summer of 1994, it seemed to be something that wouldn't affect Jordan. But when Spring Training arrived for the following season and neither side willing to budge in negotiations, Jordan decided that he wanted no part of the bickering and back-and-forth between owners and players. He stunningly issued a simple, two-word fax to the NBA offices.
"I'm Back."
Just like that, MJ was a pro hoopster once again which of course was met with mixed reactions. Millions of fans wanted him back ever since he'd left and were overjoyed at his decision. In contrast, many observers wondered if he could return to his accustomed heights with such a long layoff. Additonally, he had just celebrated his 32nd birthday the previous month -- an age in hoops where a player's skills begin a steady decline.
He was poised to make history.
Jordan returned to the lineup in a Sunday matinee game broadcast on NBC. It was the Bulls v.s. the Indiana Pacers in Indiana and the "prodigal son" (as he was being called) replaced Pete Myers in the starting lineup. During the highly anticipated game, Jordan struggled mightily; he had no lift on either his jump shot or forays to the hoop. His timing was noticeably off, he got winded early and often and he appeared tentative at times.
But the biggest difference in Jordan was his jersey.
Michael's world-famous jersey number 23 had been replaced with an awkward looking number 45. He later explained that he wanted to keep 23 retired because that was the last number his father (who was tragically murdered in the summer of 1993) saw him play in. In this game, Chicago struggled to contain the Pacers' attack. Sharpshooter Reggie Miller was a major thorn for the Bulls, who used a 29-19 fourth quarter charge (led by Scottie Pippen) to rally from a huge deficit and send the contest into overtime.
When the dust settled, the Pacers had earned a 103-96 victory. Miller's 28 points led Indiana while Pippen poured in 31 points for the Bulls.
What did Jordan do?
The super rusty basketball genius was anything but brilliant in his "re-debut" as he played a grueling 43 minutes and struggled his way to 19 points on an awful 7-of-28 shooting performance. His floor game however, was very good as he posted six rebounds, six assists and 3 steals.
The game was a sign of things to come for MJ. He struggled the remaining 16 games and 10 more in the playoffs. With the exception of his 32-point and game winning jumper at the buzzer at Atlanta and his sterling 55-point gem at Madison Square Garden, his abbreviated '94-'95 season was a bust.
Or was it?
After the Bulls got bounced from the playoffs by upstart Orlando, Jordan took a long, hard look in the mirror. Blaming his team's loss on his plethora of missed shots and turnovers, he vowed to return the following season better than ever. In other words, his lackluster showing drove him.
Three years later, Jordan capped off the Bulls' second three-peat of the decade with a championship winning jump shot against the Utah Jazz. All he did in his three full seasons after the 1995 playoff loss was garner two more MVP awards, 3 more scoring titles (for a record of 10 overall), lead Chicago to a record setting 72 victory season in '95-'96 and earned three more Finals MVP awards.
His championship total grew to six in eight years!
Bottom line, Jordan's 1995 return brought tears of joy to all of us ... his fans. For his opponents, their tears were filled with heartbreak and sorrow. If it weren't for his return, luminaries such as Miller, Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, Patrick Ewing, Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton and Karl Malone and John Stockton may very well had won titles. Not all of them, but at least a few. Hakeem Olajuwon's title run may have went further than two.
Don't blame Jordan. Blame the baseball strike!
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