“He Went Straight to the Top”: Father James Was Surprised With Michael Jordan’s Bold Step After Bulls’ “Losing Attitude”
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It is no secret that NBA legend Michael Jordan did not like to lose. He was one of the most competitive players ever to play the game. Incredibly, Jordan never lost a Finals series in his career. He has played in six Finals and won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. His desire to win at any cost was on full display and the fans loved him for that.
Even if the Chicago Bulls were in a bad situation, his teammates and fans knew MJ would come up with something that would tip the game in their direction. And he did exactly that most of the time, especially when it mattered the most.
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The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan as the #3 pick in the 1984 NBA draft. But even the Bulls could not have predicted what he would achieve for them. MJ hit the ground running in his rookie season as he averaged a mindboggling 28.2 points per game with an FG% of 51.5. And he subsequently won the Rookie of the Year award.
However, his sophomore year was marred with a foot injury. He only played 18 games that season. But even when MJ felt he was ready, he was not getting the playing time he wanted.
Michael Jordan wanted to play
MJ was not happy with the lack of games. And he did not keep quiet. Michael Jordan accused Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf of not playing him for reasons other than his injury. When MJ was asked whether he is not being played to get a lottery pick, he gave his honest opinion. Jordan said, “I hope not. I mean that just shows a losing attitude, not just the team but the front office also. We should always go out and try to win.”
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His father James R Jordan Sr. said, “One of the things that surprised me was the fact that he went straight to the top. I mean I could see him talking to the coach, general manager, or something like that. But I have to admire him because it is something that he really believes in.”
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Jerry Reinsdorf said that Jordan’s playing time did not have anything to do with the team making the playoffs or not. After almost a whole season without playing, MJ came back with a vengeance. In his third season in the league, Jordan averaged an unbelievable 37.1 points per game playing 82 games.
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Shockingly, he did not win the MVP award that season. Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson won the award that year. However, MJ would win the MVP award the following year, while averaging 35 points per game.
Edited by:
Veer Badani