Many consider Michael Jordan to be the greatest basketball player of all time. The 6x NBA champion and Hall of Famer was an elite talent all his life. Even before coming to the NBA, Jordan was among the best players in the nation. So much so that he got the chance to represent his country in the 1984 Summer Olympics as a 21-year-old.

The Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA draft. Before playing a single minute on an NBA court, Jordan was already dominating in the summer Olympics of 1984. Jordan was selected to be part of the 1984 USA Men’s Basketball team.

21-year-old Michael Jordan meets Celtics legend Larry Bird

Young Jordan was already making noise well before his debut in the NBA. In the days leading up to the Olympics, the Men’s team was matched against some of the pros of the league in an exhibition-type format to get some practice. Larry Bird, the All-star forward of the Boston Celtics and one of the best players in the league at that time, made an appearance in one of these games.

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One night in an Indianapolis facility, Jordan gets into a showdown with Larry Bird in a pregame warmup. The ball from the side of the Olympic team went out of bounds and toward the pros’ area. Jordan was chasing after the ball. Bird picked up the ball. To make a statement to the 21-year-old, Bird threw the ball over Jordan’s head and sneered. When asked about the exchange, Jordan later said, “Bird was showing me it was all business now, and I was beneath him.” The future Hall of Famer and 6x NBA champion would not forget this incident. 

Michael Jordan’s rookie campaign is a tale of legends. Jordan averaged a mind-boggling 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists as a rookie. Jordan dominated in the regular season but found little to no success in the playoffs with the Bulls in his early years. The Bulls made the playoffs in the 1985-86 season but were heavy underdogs with one of the worst records among the teams who made the playoffs.

Watch the Story – How many gold medals does Michael Jordan have in the Olympics?

The Chicago Bulls were matched against the best league that season with a 67-15 record, the Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics. Though the Bulls got swept by the Celtics, Jordan had one of the greatest playoff performances of his career. He averaged an eye-watering 43.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. But Jordan broke all hell loose in Game 2 of the series when he dropped 63 points against the Celtics’ defense, albeit in a losing effort. After the game, Larry Bird said, “I think he’s God disguised as Michael Jordan.” This was the same Bird who had tossed the ball over Jordan’s head.