20 Years Ago Today: Jordan Learns Hard Lesson From Pistons

CLEVELAND - In a seminal career of breathtaking excellence, Michael Jordan authored one historic moment after another. His genius was so expansive and his drive so tenacious, that he became the best basketball player in history by the time he reached age 30. But before he led the Chicago Bulls to a half-dozen NBA championships in less than a decade, he served a hard knocks apprenticeship that reinforced his ruthlessness.

Thank the Detroit Pistons.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Detroit Pistons' Game 7 trouncing of Jordan's Bulls in the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals. It was the third consecutive season that saw Detroit end Chicago's season. Jordan, then 27 years of age and in his 6th NBA season had been beyond brilliant all season and series. With the Pistons' ultra physical play and defensive focus on MJ, the Bulls as a team struggled mightily in spurts and went down 0-2 in the series. Then, ferocious as ever, Jordan responded with back to back 47 and 42 point games to tie the series at 2-2. The final game, played at The Palace of Auburn Hills, saw Chicago lose handily, 93-74. This was the infamous "Scottie Pippen migraine game" which rendered the 3rd year upstart ineffective and left Michael alone to fight against Detroit's suffocating defense. Jordan miraculously managed 31 points in the game, but no one else did anything of note.

It was with this Game 7 loss that Jordan broke down in tears at the reality of losing yet again. Each season, he  was the ultimate megastar standout, yet he was hearing growing criticisms that he would never lead his team to a championship. His career was so phenomenal up to that point, yet he would never be thought of as an all-time great without a league title. Naturally, he went into the summer with an even higher level of focus than normal. The result?

Chicago won three consecutive NBA titles twice during the remainder of the decade!

It may have been the sharpest, cruelest pain at the time. But that Game 7 loss was the exact fuel that Michael Jordan needed to power his space shuttle of excellence into the stratosphere.