Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls had a great time destroying opposition back in the 90s. No one could argue about their sheer dominance on the court. Jordan is considered the greatest ever to play the game. Back in 2013, Ahmad Rashad interviewed the 6-time NBA Champion on the occasion of his 50th birthday. 

In the hour-long interview, Ahmad Rashad mentioned the earliest nickname that the Bulls legend had gotten, ‘Captain Marvel’.

Michael Jordan addressing his nicknames

As it turns out, Michael Jordan wasn’t a big fan of his first nickname. And he even detailed the reasons for his dislike.

Jordan chuckled and replied, “ It just didn’t seem right, Captain sounded like I’m on the top of the league and I considered myself at the bottom you know at that time.”  He further added, “I am walking into arenas playing Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, and you call me ‘Captain Marvel’, puts a big dot on my back”. 

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Despite being widely regarded as the greatest player ever, Michael Jordan had the humility to acknowledge his position in the totem pole in his early years. He deferred to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson’s dominance when they ruled the NBA world. However, he would later go on to establish his own monopoly in the league for the Chicago Bulls.

The nickname ‘His Airness’ was a direct sign of love, adulation, and respect for the Bulls no. 23. This nickname was derived from the basketball legend’s ability to hang in the air while dunking from the free throw line.

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Combined with the royal status that he exuded, by making the Bulls the most formidable team of the 90s. It was a perfect nickname.

The Bulls legend against Larry Bird and Magic Johnson

The Bulls legend stated that was at the bottom of the NBA hierarchy in his early seasons. Also motivating him more to be at par with the legends of the game. 

The 1986 NBA Playoffs had the Bulls and Larry Bird’s  Boston Celtics pitted against each other. The Boston Garden saw a game like no other when the home team won 135-131. Despite that, Michael Jordan scored 63 points, which is to this day still a playoff record. Larry Bird famously said, “I think he’s God disguised as Michael Jordan”.

In the 1991 NBA Finals, the Chicago Bulls faced Magic Johnson and the legendary LA Lakers. The Lakers were appearing in their 9th NBA final in 12 years. Nobody could question their status as a team.

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The Chicago bulls defeated LA Lakers 4-1 in the finals, with Jordan averaging 31.2 PPG on 56% shooting.