NBA Archives Debunked: The Jordan Saga

Chapter 50

Jackson was not at all surprised that Jordan was ready to play basketball again.As soon as there were signs of a strike in baseball, Jackson sensed that he might be getting a call from Jordan. In early February 1995, Jordan came to see Jackson, and the two discussed the possibility of a baseball strike.Jackson said: "You know, once you strike, you have to think about what you want to do. You don't have a lot of time left in your basketball career. You can come back at the end of the season and play 2 games."

Jordan replied: "That's too much. How about 20 games?"

When Jordan said this, Jackson understood that they were thinking the same thing.If the baseball owners screw up, Jackson will soon be bringing back his best player.

On March 1995, 3, the Bulls defeated the 4ers in an away game and flew back to Chicago from Philadelphia.In the air, they thought they were going to die.The cockpit lost pressure, and the plane plummeted from an altitude of 76 meters to more than 3000 meters in a few seconds. The dinner plates in the cabin flew randomly, and the oxygen mask fell off from the top of the head.Fortunately, there were no surprises, and the plane finally landed safely.

The next day the team rested, and Jordan suddenly appeared at the Beto Center.In Jackson's office, Jordan asked: Can I come to practice with the team tomorrow?Jackson replied: "I think we have a jersey here that should fit you."

Around this day, Armstrong received a call from Jordan at six o'clock in the morning, and Jordan asked him to go to the Beto Center.Armstrong is looking forward to Jordan's comeback, but he doesn't want Jordan to mess up. He asked Jordan two questions: First, are you sure you really want to come back?Second, are you sure you can fight?

The answer to the second question, Armstrong soon knew.

Jordan told Armstrong that he had been working out in recent weeks to get his feel.When Armstrong arrived at the Beto Center, Jordan was already practicing alone there, shooting, rebounding, shooting, rebounding, and shooting... Soon, Jordan proposed a one-on-one match. Armstrong only thought it was fun at first, but he didn't take it seriously. You scored a goal, I scored a goal, very relaxed, but suddenly, Jordan changed back to the same Jordan in the past, putting on a life-and-death posture, and he was going to play for real.

At that time, Armstrong was wearing jerseys and sneakers, but Jordan was wearing casual clothes and casual shoes.Armstrong stared down at Jordan's feet and asked, "Are you sure?"

"That's fine, go ahead," Jordan said.

Jordan won 10-7, all soaked in casual clothes.Jordan yelled at Armstrong: "You still can't guard me, and I'm still wearing these shoes."

On the morning of March 3, Tom Smithburg, the team's new media and public relations assistant, went to work at the Beto Center. "I walked in through the door, and before I saw the pitch, it felt different," he recalls. "It was the sound of the players training, but it was louder and faster than usual. I went into the training room, (Trainer) Chip Schafer and (equipment administrator) Johnny Ligmanowski both looked like they had seen a ghost. I asked them what was wrong, and no one answered me. So I Going to the court and seeing a guy in Bulls shorts and a T-shirt dunking on his ex-teammate's head. It was Michael."

Smithberger later left the Bulls, but he always remembers the day Jordan returned to practice. "You know, we barely made it to the first round (of the playoffs), we didn't make it to the second round, and we had a horrible flight (two days ago). The team was still highly regarded, but at that point, the Bulls were already going backwards Smithberger said, "And then, in this moment, everything changed. From that moment, to the next four years, the whole team changed. The energy, the atmosphere, the day Michael came, that difference was Perceivable."

Jackson knew Jordan was going to practice, but most players didn't. "So it was very dramatic," Jackson said. "I don't know if we had two or three guys who had played with Michael before and knew how he played and how he worked. With all the other guys, like Tony Koo Koch, Steve Kerr, all new."

To Cole, the moment seemed dreamlike.They also heard rumors before that Jordan was considering a comeback, but Jordan participated in training without any prior warning. "There was a second where everyone was blown away," Kerr said. "We were dead, and it was the ultimate shot in the arm — with Michael, anything was possible."

Cole and others were very excited when they learned that they might play with Jordan.Trainer Chip Shaffer was on the team during the three-peat, worked with Jordan, and he and Kerr, Luc Longley, Larry Krystkowiak ) having dinner together and hearing how happy and anticipating those people were, I was like, "Guys, you guys have no idea how hard it is to play with him."

Despite Jackson's best efforts to protect Jordan's privacy, news of Jordan's training with the team spread like wildfire.The media surrounded the Beto Center, waiting for Jordan to announce his comeback.When Jordan finally made his decision, he sent the world the most succinct statement:
"I'm back." (I'm back.)
Armstrong later told an acquainted reporter that he always believed that Jordan would come back to play basketball. When the reporter asked why, Armstrong said, "You are who you are."

Jordan is back wearing the No. 45 Chicago Bulls jersey, and the world is crazy about him again.His first game back, immediately became the focus of the United States. On March 3, when the Bulls played away against the Pacers, NBC TV originally planned to broadcast live only to half of the United States, but once the news of Jordan’s comeback was confirmed, they immediately revised the plan and broadcast almost all of the United States, except for a few small markets. .The ball became NBC's most-watched regular season in five years.

Before the game, reporters rushed into the locker room of the home team, caught Pacers coach Larry Brown, and wanted to ask him a few questions. Larry Brown smiled and said: "You really make me feel good. The Beatles and the cats The king has returned, but you have come to talk to me."

During the warm-up, a cameraman pointed the camera at Jordan's Nike shoes, and the young Bulls forward Corie Blount (Corie Blount) said mysteriously: "Now they are interviewing his sneakers."

In this battle, Jordan scored only 28 points on 7 of 19 shots. The Bulls still lost to the Pacers 96 to 103 after overtime.After all, Jordan has been away from the NBA for 21 months, and it will not happen overnight to get back to his competitive state.

The Bulls at this time are also very different from before Jordan left. In the summer of 1994, Paxson retired; Cartwright originally wanted to retire, but later changed his mind and accepted the Supersonic contract; Grant left and joined the Orlando Magic; the old assistant coach Bach also left the Bulls because of his relationship with Klaus It's already bad to the extreme, just a little bit.Only Pippen, Armstrong, and Perdue were left on the team who had worked with Jordan. New teammates like Kukoc were in awe of Jordan and didn't know how to play beside him.

The team still needs to run in, and Jordan needs to adjust, but judging from the results, Jordan's comeback is immediate.This season, before his comeback, the Bulls had 34 wins and 31 losses, with a winning percentage of just over half. After his comeback, the Bulls played 13 wins and 4 losses, with a winning percentage of more than 76%.

The eighth classic battle of Jordan's career

1995 NBA regular season

Time: March 1995, 3

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York
Score: Bulls 113: 111 Knicks

"It's like he never left," Knicks legend Earl Monroe said.

On this day, Monroe sat in the front row of the stands at Madison Square Garden.Every time Jordan scored a shot on the court, Monroe cheered from the sidelines, completely disregarding his status as a New York basketball star.

(End of this chapter)