Michael Jordan is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time and is known for his impressive skill, athleticism, and competitive drive on the court. Jordan played professional basketball for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards during his career, and his impressive accomplishments and iconic image have made him a cultural icon and influential figure in the world of sports and beyond.
Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, which means he is currently 58 years old. Jordan played professional basketball for 15 seasons, with two retirements and two comebacks in between. Jordan first retired from the NBA in 1993, at the age of 30, after winning three consecutive NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.
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He announced his retirement in October of that year, citing a lack of desire to play the game at the same level of intensity.
After a brief stint playing minor league baseball, Jordan returned to the NBA in 1995, joining the Chicago Bulls once again. He led the team to three more NBA championships, solidifying his place as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. Jordan retired from the NBA for a second time in 1999, at the age of 36.
However, Jordan´s retirement from the NBA was short-lived. In 2001, he came out of retirement for a second time, joining the Washington Wizard as a player and part-owner. Jordan played two seasons with the Wizards before retiring from the NBA for a final time in 2003, at the age of 40.
Throughout his career, Jordan was known for his impressive scoring ability, defensive skills, and clutch performance in high-pressure situations. He was named the NBA´s Most Valuable Player five times and was a 14-time All-Star. Jordan was also named to the All-NBA First Team 10 times and the All-Defensive First Team nine times.
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In addition to his individual accolades, Jordan helped lead the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships, earning Finals MVP honors in each of those victories.
Jordan´s impact on the game of basketball was undeniable, and his influence has continued to be felt long after his retirement. In addition to his success on the court, Jordan has also been involved in various business ventures and philanthropic efforts, including the creation of his own signature brand of sneakers with Nike, ownership stakes in professional sports teams, and charitable donations to various organizations.
Michael Jordan retired from the NBA for the final time in 2003, at the age of 40. His impressive career, which spanned 15 seasons and included two retirements and two comebacks, cemented his place as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Jordan´s impact on the game, both on and off the court, continues to be felt today.
At the age of 30, Michael Jordan retired after winning three titles. The next year he played for the Birmingham Barons, the White Sox affiliate, and led that league in stolen bases as a 31-year-old rookie. At 32 he wasn't playing either—until he came back.
What if Jordan's whole career started at age 32 and ended at age 40? He would have still been the greatest ever because he was so old, yet so good, and the leader of the team with an all-time NBA best 72-10 record and three straight titles.
Pretend Jordan is a rookie at age 32.
Age 32
MJ started the season with only 17 games left. The Bulls were on the verge of missing the playoffs (34-31), but finished 13-4 with him in the lineup. They made the playoffs, barely, but lost in the second round to Orlando and Shaq.
Regular season plus playoffs: 27 games, 772 points, 28.6 pts per game, which is more than what he actually averaged as a rookie (28.
2). He also averaged 6.7 rpg, 5 apg, 2.0 spg, and 1.0 bpg.
Age 33
Mike completed an amazing season in 1995-96 by leading the Bulls to an all-time record 72-10, 25 wins more than the previous season. He also led the league in scoring for a record eighth time and was named NBA MVP. They won in the Finals over Seattle 4-2.
Regular season plus playoffs: 100 games played, 3,043 points, 30.4 ppg. He also averaged 6.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, and 2.1 spg.
Age 34
Jordan led the league in scoring for the ninth time and beat NBA MVP Karl Malone in the Finals 4-2 under Phil, and he was named Finals MVP for the fifth time in 1996-97. They went an amazing 69-13. Kobe averaged 7.6 points in this season as a rookie.
Regular season plus playoffs: 101 games, 3,910 minutes, 3,021 points, 29.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.4 apg, and 1.7 spg.
Age 35
Michael became a 10-time scoring champion, five-time MVP, and six-time Finals MVP in 1997-98.
He was the oldest ever player to do any of that. The Bulls went 62-20 under Phil and beat the Jazz again 4-2. Jordan was 6-0 in the Finals.
Regular season plus playoffs: 103 games, 3,037 points, 29.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.5 apg, and 1.7 spg.
Age 36
He retired again after second three-peat. The year was 1999.
Age 37 - retired
Age 38 - retired
Age 39
Jordan came out of retirement again and amazingly led Washington in scoring at age 39. The year before, the Wizards were 19-63, and in 2001-02 they finished 37-45, an 18-game improvement. Jordan was the only new guy on the team.
Regular season: 22.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.2 apg, and 1.4 spg.
Age 40
He became the oldest player ever to score 40 points in a game and average over 20 points per game—an amazing feat for a guy who was the only player on the Wizards that year to play in all 82 games, and he was 40! They went 37-45 again, but the next year with Jordan gone they were back at 25-57.
Wow, even at 40, MJ was a bad man, schooling little kids half his age.
Regular season: 20.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, and 1.5 spg.
Summary
From age 32 to 40 Jordan played in 473 games. He scored 12,888 pts for an average of 27.2 points per game and won three NBA titles with three Finals MVPs, two regular season MVPs, and three scoring titles in only five full seasons. At an old age, Jordan shot 46.3% from the field.
This year, at age 31, Kobe averaged 27 pts (less than Jordan from age 32-40) and has shot for his career 45.5% from the field (less than Jordan from age 32-40)
Even if Jordan had ONLY played from age 32-40, he'd be the greatest single individual talent of all time.
On the other hand, there have been many cases in the NBA where players have missed a whole year or more and then returned to the NBA - some on a farewell tour, and some - as if nothing had happened. At the same time, many of those who returned were not just stars, but basketball legends. What can I say - five players who were once recognized as the best in the NBA were returning from retirement in order to dust a little more and please their fans.
Kermit Washington - 1987-88*
* - the season the player returned from retirement
In total, about 30 players returned to NBA professional basketball after the announcement of his retirement - and Kevin Willis became NBA Mathuses at 44, and Jeff Ruland with his stoic comeback on his knees, and some other bright players. Let's start with Kermit Washington. His career was first broken by an incident with Rudy Tomjanovich and then by injuries. Quit playing for the first time Kermit at 30 years old, but then returned 5 seasons later to spend a total of less than an hour on the floor in 6 games and say goodbye to the NBA for good.
Richie Guerin - 1968-69
This year's 1960s Knicks scoring quarterback Richie Guerin will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was selected in the draft in 1954, but another "draft" happened in his life - a call to the troops, and he served in the Marine Corps for 2 years before his career in the NBA. And in 1964, the Knicks felt that Guerin was getting old, and they traded the favorite Madison Square Garden to St. Louis. There, the NBA veteran also took on the duties of a coach, with which he coped well, remaining an active player until 1967 years old. In the 67/68 season, Guerin announced his retirement from playing and concentrated on the role of a coach, winning the title of the best specialist of the season. But the following year, the Hawks moved to Atlanta. In order for the team to be interesting to the public in the new place, in each of the next two seasons, Richie returned to the floor, having played 35 more matches for Atlanta in retirement.
Kevin Johnson - 1999-2000
Is it possible to talk about returning from retirement and not think about Johnson? True, usually in such cases they talk about Magic Johnson, but there was another bright point guard named Johnson, who also once took off his sneakers from a nail and went to the floor. Today he is a hero of Sacramento, but in the 90s he was a Phoenix legend. In 1998, he ended his career coaching Jason Kidd and his replacement Steve Nash. But before the 2000 playoffs, Kidd was injured and did not have time to recover for the first round. That's when KJ returned to the league to back up Penny Hardaway, put on a convincing series against the Spurs, and help the team advance to the next round before finally moving on to other things.
Marquez Johnson - 1989-90
Another Johnson, back from retirement and... not Magic again. In 1984, Don Nelson decided to give his Bucks another shake-up and traded one of the team's leaders, four-time All-Star Marquez Johnson to the Clippers.
To the Clippers! Well, who does that? At first, Marquez was probably happy - after all, he spent all his childhood, youth and youth in Los Angeles, went to school, which was located in the building next to the then LAC arena. But already in 86, Marquez injured his neck in the game for the "sailboats" and ended his career at 30 years old. Three years later, he tried to return, playing for the Warriors (there, two years before him, Kermit Washington tried to revive his career), but Marquez was only enough for a dozen meetings.
Magic Johnson - 1995-96
Pre-season medical tests in 1991 should have gone unnoticed, instead they changed the entire basketball world. Magic Johnson, who was diagnosed with HIV, retired. Although he went on to play in the touching '92 All-Star Game and become part of the greatest team in basketball history over the summer, he did not play on the NBA floor. In 1994, he tried to coach the Lakers, in 1995 he became a minority shareholder of the team.
So at 19In 96, no one was very surprised when Magic decided to return to the floor. And if the Lakers played well with the Magic - 22 wins with only 10 losses - then from a non-basketball point of view, the return turned out to be unsuccessful. Magic was dissatisfied with his playing time and the fact that he had to play a power forward, had a fight with Ceballos and Van Exel, and in general there was not the best atmosphere in the young team, which was waiting for the restructuring, but waited for the return of the old legend from retirement. At the end of the season, Magic decided not to return to basketball after all. And yet: " I'm glad that now I'm leaving only of my own free will. I couldn't say that last time ."
Michael Jordan - 1994-95, 2001-02
This is known to all basketball fans. This is one of the iconic moments in the history of sports of mankind. Honestly, there is nothing to add here - and it is not necessary, if Mike himself managed to fax, consisting of only a couple of words.
He just came back.
P.S. . And then he came back again when he wanted to support the nation after September 11, but just for the sake of a beautiful retirement, which he lacked at 98th.
Dave Cowens - 1982-83
The great Celtics center of the '70s was an odd character. In 1977, he got tired of basketball and worked as a taxi driver for several days to “clear his head” (moreover, he took exorbitant prices from the rich and New Yorkers, and drove ordinary residents of Boston for free). And in 1980, he suddenly decided to end his career right during the pre-season - the man who was selected for the All-Star Game last season hangs his sneakers on a nail at 31! "I think this team will do better without me" , Dave stated. And damn it, he was right! The Celtics took the championship that same season. Cowens argued his departure by the fact that he has no right to receive his high salary when, almost indifferent to sports, he no longer gives all the best on the site.
And yet, some basketball remained in him - in 1982, his former teammate Don Nelson, already the coach of Milwaukee, invited Dave to play for the Bucks. Why did Cowens return to the NBA? And who knows... "To be honest, I don't know myself" . After these words, Dave played 40 games and calmed down.
Bob Cousy - 1969-70
Cowens was not the first Celt legend to end his career with Boston and retire for the second time with another team. In 1969, 41-year-old head coach of the Cincinnati Royals, Bob Cousy, who left the Celtics after the 1963 championship title, decided to shake the old days and attract spectators to the stands of the empty Cincinnati Gardens arena. Failed - the Royals remained the last team in terms of attendance, and Kuzi's 7 games did not help the team in any way. And Bob also had a fight with Oscar Robertson and traded him the following summer. I just put on a uniform.
George Mikan - 1955-56
He was the first NBA legend and also the first NBA retiree.
In 1954, Mikan won another title with the Lakers and announced the end of his career: “I had a family, and I decided to be with her. I felt it was worth looking for a new calling outside of basketball.” . In those years, there was no money in sports, and the 30-year-old Maikan began to look for a new profession. But in the middle of the 55/56 season, George decided to try his luck again in the NBA. Out of shape, suffering from the consequences of a dozen injuries, Maikan did not look like himself. At the end of the season, the center ended his career forever.
Sidney Moncrief - 1990-91
Like his Bucks teammate Marquez Johnson, described above, the best defensive guard of the 80s, Sidney Moncrief clearly underplayed. Chronic knee problems forced him to leave Milwaukee in 1989, just 32 years old. By that time, Moncrief had been running, in fact, on one leg for three seasons. And then Sidney decided to go into business by opening a car dealership in his native Arkansas.
But entrepreneurship proved so boring compared to basketball that Moncrief couldn't resist and tried to return to the NBA and spent a season on the Atlanta bench. "That's just me. Impulsive" . That is why Moncrief, Magic with Jordan, Sheedy with Brandon and many others are returning, although there seems to be money and awards, and the body is worn out. But they just can't live without basketball.
Gap of service: decree. 10 NBA Players Who Missed an Entire Season with Injuries
Snapshot #1. One minute after the final siren. Randy Brown lashes out at Jordan and repeats, "Thank you man, thank you."
A bit of background for those who still want to put their turnips under the heavy hand of Charles Barkley after 0-4.
By the last match of 1998, "Chicago" drove up without wheels - the team approached the series with "Utah" as a generally recognized outsider.
The Jazz made it through the playoffs easily, had court advantage, got even better this year, won both regular season games against Chicago.
Even the owner didn't believe in the Bulls. Back in the summer of '97, Jerry Reinsdorf made it clear that next season would be the last for the team and tuned in to rebuild after Jordan, Pippen and Jackson.
Chicago had a very bad first half of the season, as Pippen missed a lot after surgery and was having a hard time getting back into shape.
Chicago nearly sank in the series with Indiana, where it came to Game 7, in which neither Pippen nor Jordan could hit.
All this time, "Chicago" remained afloat only thanks to the leader. 34-year-old Jordan scored 29averaged in the regular season, 32.5 in the playoffs, got his fifth MVP and did the impossible, constantly surprising not only fans and rivals, but also his own partners, who supposedly had to get used to everything.
The sixth match of the series with "Utah" - the finish line, which seemed unattainable.
Pippen suffered from back pain and did not help much. Rodman doubled his productivity under the shields - from 15 rebounds in the regular season to 6.
75 rebounds. Harper had stomach flu. The Bulls' spares never shined.
The Bulls were leading 1-3, but then they couldn't close the series at home - everything turned out to be not so clear. The remaining two matches were held in Salt Lake City, where, according to Jordan himself, even the Chicago players were afraid to play.
Everything rested on one person, slightly arrogant, slightly annoying, but invariably confirming his words.
“I also consider us underdogs in this series, but at the same time I know that we are champions,” said Jordan. “No matter what people predict, Utah needs to beat us first. I don't feel pressure to be considered the best. I've always been intrigued by this Michael Jordan and what he does. Nobody knows what else he's capable of."
Freeze frame #2. With two minutes left, Utah take a four-point lead. Jordan is 2-of-8 from the field in the fourth quarter, and the Bulls are holding on solely to free throws - 8 line-ups in 12 minutes.
In December '97, Chicago was still trying to find itself - 15-9 and all the signs of a crisis.
At the debriefing, Phil Jackson analyzed Luke Longley's mistakes and joked awkwardly: “Everyone makes mistakes. I also made a mistake when I decided to stay this season."
But Jordan took things seriously.
"Me too."
There was a tense pause.
Offended Longley threw out: "It's easy to criticize."
Tex Winter tried to reason with him.
“I'm not talking about coaches. It's Michael who criticizes everyone."
Jordan replied: “The only thing that upsets me is our defeats. I think you need to play better next time. Change."
Everyone was silent.
“That's all. We won't lose again."
With that communiqué, the Bulls went 9-2, waited for Pippen's return and finished the season on a 38-9 run.
In the fourth quarter of game six, everyone's eyes are on Jordan. And they think about a rather strange thing: partners have always noticed that their leader, like no one else, feels the game - its rhythm, its inertial flows, its patterns.
And the fact that he continues to give all the best, does not save himself for the seventh match, in the end turned out to be the most important motivating circumstance.
Jordan will score 45 points in the sixth game, including the last 8, and will not give the ball to anyone in the last two minutes.
But so far he still can't hit the middle, and "Utah" breaks away.
Freeze frame #3. Jordan earns another free throw, and Phil Jackson takes a time-out before breaking through.
Jordan has virtually no help ahead. He scored more than half of the team's points, Kukoc is second in scoring - he has 15, three more have 7-8 points each.
That's all.
Jordan played 44 minutes, remained the most important part of the Bulls defense, lugging the entire offense alone.
By the middle of the fourth, it was already obvious to everyone that his legs were sagging.
(Since returning in '95, Jordan has played 351 out of 352 possible matches).
Jackson deliberately takes a break to let him catch his breath and make the most important shots that keep Chicago in the game.
After the timeout, Jordan comes back and lays down both.
(Does this negative foul prevent foppish tongue sticking out in the aisles? Not Jordan).
Freeze frame #4. Steve Kerr hair.
You just need to pause and fix these tanks, this harshness of heavy metal.
Freeze frame #5. Siren - everyone rejoices, Jordan walks with a view of the monument, Scottie Pippen cries.
The last match for Pippen is as painful as the whole season.
In the summer, Krause banned him from participating in a charity match so as not to aggravate his leg injury - Pippen then told reporters that the general manager of Chicago considers him his property.
The forward was offended by the management in connection with contract matters and delayed the operation - he did it at the beginning of the regular season and took a very long time to get in shape.
Before the '97 draft, the Bulls really wanted to change him. Pippen was followed by Rick Pitino, who offered Chicago both picks so they could take Tracy McGrady and Keith Van Horn.
Jordan killed a close deal with one call.
But then, in the autumn, the comrade let down not only the team, but also him personally.
As the season progressed, Pippen could no longer hold back. He openly fought with the leadership and said that he did not want to play for Chicago. It all culminated in an epic climax during the departure to Seattle - Pippen got drunk on the bus on the way to the airport and, without any control over himself, expressed everything to Jerry Krause, who was present right there.
Because of all this, he simply could not fail to reach the sixth match.
He was prepared for a long time with the help of all known medical manipulations at that time, but he jerked his back again after the first dunk and missed the first half. As a result, he spent 26 minutes on the court and helped to a greater extent in defense, and, in principle, with his “exactly in Shiva’s hands” presence.
The tension of the whole season and resulted in post-match sobs.
Freeze frame #6. Stockton runs away from Harper, opens up on an arc under Malone and puts in a shot that seems to be decisive. Until the end of 41.9 - Phil Jackson asks for a timeout.
It may sound strange, but the Bulls change tactics at the last minute. Previously, Jordan played alone on his own initiative, now Jordan plays alone on the coach's idea. Chicago goes into isolation, Jackson tells his leader that his legs are failing him and demands that he stop throwing.
The rest is clear.
By the way, the combination under Jordan was called “what the fuck”.
Freeze frame #7. In the final timeout, Jordan tugs at Rodman's face.
In 1998, the dynamics of relations between leaders is changing. Pippen is away for a long time, Kukoch turns into one of the stars, but never gains the trust of Jordan, Rodman, who is already 37, surrenders.
Jordan is trying to get through to the citizen with the colored hair.
“I went up to Dennis and said, 'Look, I know your tricks. I know you love getting technical. I know who you want to be. But I need you to stay on the set. I don't want you to be kicked out. Scotty is no more. This means that you need to come to the fore, and not be behind our backs. For the most part, he coped. But one day he got angry and was kicked out. Then I got angry. After such a conversation, he let me down so much.
That evening he knocked on my door and asked for a cigar. In all the time that we played together, he never did anything like that. But then he knew he had let me down. And, asking me for cigars, he wanted to apologize.
Freeze frame #8. Minutes after the siren, Jordan says to Rodman, "I promised you it would."
In this timeout of 41.9, the Bulls are no longer looking forward to winning - the age team is barely breathing. But Jordan says: "I know that today we will win.
"
Freeze frame #9. Jordan performs an attack in four seconds.
The main thing here is time. The Bulls are trying to win two possessions and therefore attack quickly, but the effect is multiplied by pressure. The whole last minute gives the impression of a huge wave that sweeps the Jazz away.
Jordan has stopped saving energy - he passes three Utah players as if they were not there at all.
Freeze frame #10. "Jazz" is habitually given to Malone, but he is lost.
The Utah combo surprises no one - neither the Jazz nor the Bulls. They transfer the ball to the post on Karl Malone, where he habitually pulls together a double team, habitually looking for an open partner. Chicago habitually tries to provoke a loss in such a situation - usually unsuccessfully.
Usual, except in this particular case.
Malone is slow. Jordan is so energized to win that it's like he's just stepped on the court - he rushes to the bulky forward right away and knocks the ball out in one motion.
He tries to orient himself, but only funny falls on the parquet. A sigh of disappointment sweeps through the arena - the anticipation of a beautiful ending is replaced by irrationally covering horror.
Jordan has the ball. And it seems that everyone is trying to bewitch him: "No, no, no."
Freeze frame #11. Jordan after the game will say that after the interception, the entire arena fell silent at once.
Actually, this is not true.
It's just that the mood has changed very drastically. From many sounds some disturbing melody now pours out, anticipating the subsequent murder as well as the famous theme from "Jaws".
Even in those moments when nothing happens - Jordan holds the ball and waits for the time to run out - even in these moments, the whole arena is worried about something.
It is clear what.
Freeze frame #12. John Stockton does not want to take Jordan, points the finger at him to Russell
Russell is one of the people Jordan returned to basketball for.
Jordan himself, of course, mentioned this during his Hall of Fame induction speech.
“In 1994, Russell came up to me and asked: “Why did you leave? You know that I would shut you down. If only I ever see you in shorts…” When I came back and we played Utah in ’96, we stood with him on the center circle: “Remember what you said to me then? Do you think that you can defend against me, that we can close me, that you want to play against me? Well, now you will get such an opportunity.
I would like to think that at this moment Stockton is not just shouting: “Hold him?!” And he adds something like: “Your ************* [sociability] cost us two titles. Now hold it yourself."
Freeze frame #13. Russell pulls up his underpants - he already knows what will happen next.
This pair has already found itself in exactly the same situation at the end of the first match of the '97 series. Then it all ended with such a hit by Jordan.
Russell roughly understands that he is powerless and prays to himself.
Freeze frame #14. With 18.8 seconds left before the siren, Jordan has to decide for himself. "Utah" plays personally and does not try to attract a double team.
Jazz focus on both Chicago snipers - Stockton bites into Steve Kerr and stays in one corner, holding Tony Kukocha in the other.
The Bulls lost Game 5 in the final seconds. There, 0.8 before the siren, Jackson again (as in 1994) painted a combination for Kukocha, but everything did not go according to plan.
At first it took Chicago three tries to get the ball in.
Then Ron Harper, who was throwing the ball from behind, did not see Kukoch because of Ostertag standing in front of him and threw it at Jordan.
Jordan missed.
This episode happened two days before, but at that moment no one remembers it anymore.
Freeze frame #15.
Jordan goes under the shield, but changes plans when Russell decides to take the ball out of him on the dribble.
Jordan goes under his favorite right hand. And he sees the impulse of the opponent.
Abrupt stop. Jordan puts his hand on Russell's ass and gives him the starting push that will be debated for the next twenty years.
“It wasn't a push,” Phil Jackson would later say. “He was a helping hand to a fallen comrade.”
Freeze frame #16. The throw itself is uncharacteristic - Jordan jumps vertically upwards.
This is not a typical move for Jordan - he preferred to throw with deviation in all situations.
But in this case, there is also an allowance for circumstances. All misses in the fourth quarter come from the near bow, so Jordan makes up for shortfalls by making it easier to shoot.
3 out of 9.
And the last roll.
Freeze frame #17. The famous photo of Eric Medina: the ball is still in the air, and Utah fans already understand everything.
20 years ago today, Michael Jordan buried the #LastShot to secure his sixth title with the @chicagobulls! pic.twitter.com/oZT2Q8GRKo
— NBA (@NBA) June 14, 2018
For reference: during the 97/98 season, Jordan made only 33% of shots from a distance of five meters, which is even worse than the league average (37). He missed 22 shots from here - only Horace Grant and Rick Smits had more misses.
In short, the throw itself is far from perfect. But when an opponent causes outright panic, no one thinks about statistics.
Jordan called her like no other.
When he crossed the center line, nothing good was expected of him.
Freeze frame #18. After the match, the Utah players claimed that Jordan laughed after the hit - this is not on the broadcast.
Jordan does not change at all in his face - nothing unusual has happened, everything is going according to plan.
Freeze frame #19. Jordan's hand freezes in the air after the ball goes over the net. Fans of the Jazz saw this as a mockery, while others saw it as posturing.
Jordan himself has always claimed that this is just a classic, accurate to the smallest detail medium throw technique.
“I deliberately pulled my hand up towards the ring to give more power to the throw. It looked like I was posing, but it's a fundamentally correct throw."
Everyone understands the significance of what happened already at that moment.
Analyzing the replay, Bob Costas announces: "This was probably Michael Jordan's last shot in the NBA."
Freeze frame #20. Actually, this is not the last throw in the game, but for many, everything that happened next has been erased from memory.
The last throw was made by John Stockton. His difficult three-pointer through the hand of Ron Harper hit the near bow.
75% of those who watched the match, but did not return to it since then, do not remember this.
Freeze frame #21. Jordan's only visible reaction to the hits is a slight grimace.
The most amazing thing is the general stupor.
The Utah players look like zombies doing what they're supposed to do automatically.
Chicago players keep saying the same thing - they've been with Jordan for so many years, but he continues to shock them.
Right after being hit, Ron Harper yells "You're incredible."
After the siren, Steve Kerr clarifies so emphatically that it's impossible to utter: "You're fucking unbelievable."
Phil Jackson seems to be a coach, but he approaches Jordan like a touched spectator to a director who has surpassed himself: “This is the end. It's impossible to imagine - an absolutely wonderful story.
(By the way, about wonderful stories. In 1998, Phil Jackson himself lived in a hotel for a whole season.
Why? He mailed underwear as a gift to his mistress, but entered the address incorrectly. assistants, believing that it was intended for Jackson's wife, sent it to the house of the coach. What does this have to do with Jordan's great match? Every great match requires a mandatory soup throw).
To prevent the text from finally turning into a farce, a cool story from Steve Kerr.
“At the end of the season, Jackson asked each of us to write something, like a letter to the partners that we would read at the team meeting. Half the guys forgot, I forgot, but Michael wrote a whole poem about the team.
It was a shock. The angrier man in basketball wrote a poem.
Everyone said what they had written, and then they put it in a coffee can. When everyone was done, we set those notes on fire inside the jar.
Can you imagine, Jackson burned what Michael wrote!? Now millions of dollars would be paid for this poem.
Michael wrote about what this experience means to each of us, who we have become, where we are going.
It was very cool. It was probably the most powerful moment Jackson ever gave us. I will never forget him. I cried. A lot of people were crying."
Freeze frame #22. Jerry Reinsdorf says he would like to keep the team. Jordan smiles so that everything is clear without words .
In the course of the season - after constant criticism from the side of the team against Krause - Reinsdorf imposed a moratorium on discussions about the future of the club and the activities of the general manager. The Bulls, however, managed to get around this ban: the team complained to reporters about Krause because he liked to visit the restroom in the locker room before games, just at the same time that Jordan always visited there.
As a result, Reinsdorf became the first owner who refused to continue the dynasty on his own initiative.
He was later punished for this by the fans. But from a historical point of view, this only served to perpetuate the myth of those Bulls.
All dynasties before that sooner or later descended. Or because of age, as was the case with Bill Russell. Or losing the halo of invincibility, as was the case with the Celtics, Lakers, Pistons.
"Chicago" remained undefeated.
Jordan ended a great career in the most ingenious way - leaving his most outstanding, absorbing all the most important feat for the last minute. There was a pronounced killer instinct, and absolute perfection on both halves, and conscious enjoyment of the grandeur of the moment, and that magic of the realization of any visualized desire that everyone felt.
Freeze frame #23. Siren. Everyone rushes to celebrate. For seconds, Jordan is left alone and manages to show six fingers to the stands.
His only expressive emotion of the whole evening.
Over the years, Jordan became less and less emotional. Even the riotous Salt Lake City fans could only squeeze out of him the defiant look and the stiff gait of a living monument.
