Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls faced the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals.
The SuperSonics were coached by George Karl, who went to UNC, the same school as Jordan. MJ and Karl knew each other pretty well and occasionally played golf together in the summers.
That’s why Jordan was furious when Karl didn’t say hello to him when the two were at the same spot for dinner.
“He walked right past me,” Jordan said in “The Last Dance” documentary. “I say, ‘Really? So that’s how he’s gonna play it.’ It’s a crock of sh-t. We went to Carolina, we know Dean Smith, I’ve seen him in the summer, we play golf. You gonna do this? Okay, fine.
“That’s all I needed. That’s all I needed for him to do that and it became personal with me.”
The Bulls won the first three games of the 1996 NBA Finals. Jordan averaged 31.0 points while shooting 46.0% from the field, 50.0% from beyond the arc and 81.1% from the free-throw through the first three games, and it appeared the Bulls would sweep the SuperSonics.
However, Seattle responded by winning Games 4 and 5. SuperSonics star Gary Payton guarded Jordan and did a great job. MJ averaged 24.5 points while shooting only 41.5% overall and 0.0% from three.
“A lot of people back down to Mike,” Payton said in “The Last Dance.” “I didn’t. I made it a point. I said, ‘Just tire him out. Tire the fu-k out of him. You just gotta tire him out.’ And I kept hitting him and banging him and hitting him and banging him. It took a toll on Mike. It took a toll.
“And then the series changed and I wish I could’ve did it earlier. I don’t know if the outcome would’ve been different, but it was a difference and beating him down a little bit.”
With the Bulls up 3-2, the series shifted back to Chicago. Jordan didn’t shoot the ball well in Game 6. He shot just 5-of-19 from the field.
However, MJ did shoot 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. He finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and the Bulls won by 12 points for their fourth championship.
Jordan won the 1996 NBA Finals MVP Award. He averaged 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.2 blocks in the series.
News
John Stockton Says One Of Jordan, LeBron, And Bryant Is Not Even A Top 5 Player Of All Time
John Stockton recently appeared on The Huddle, where the age-old question of who is the greatest ever came up once again. Stockton was asked if Michael Jordan, LeBron James, or Kobe Bryant is the GOAT, and not only did he refuse to pick…
Wolves guard says Lakers drafting Bronny puts LeBron ahead of Jordan in G.O.A.T. debate
The discussions of who the greatest player of all time (G.O.A.T.) is have always been subjective, and many folks have Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Michael Jordan battling for the top spot. According to Monte Morris, James has overtaken Jordan…
Did Expansion Create A Watered-Down NBA During Michael Jordan Era?
Before he became coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, JJ Redick was an effective podcaster. He had a knack for tackling topics that raised questions. More importantly, they received attention. One of them occurred a few months ago when he…
Shaquille O’Neal Gets Real On Michael Jordan’s Inflated Stats
Shaquille O’Neal addresses the controversy over Michael Jordan’s inflated stats. Shaquille O’Neal recently shared his thoughts on the controversy surrounding Michael Jordan’s statistics, particularly the claims that Jordan’s stats were inflated by home statisticians. Shaq acknowledged that home statisticians might…
There Was Only One NBA Great Who Beat Larry Bird, Magic Johnson And Michael Jordan
Former Detroit Pistons guard Isiah Thomas often gets lost in the mix when it comes to talking all-time greats. Thomas has all the credentials. He’s won titles. He’s in the Hall of Fame. He’s one of the 50 greatest players…
Doncic is already on Michael Jordan’s heels and the legend admires him: He’s phenomenal
The Slovenian credits the second-best points average in NBA Playoffs history (31.1), behind only ‘Air’ (33.4), who signed him to his sports brand in 2019 Luka Doncic may be, with the exception of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the most decisive player of the…
End of content
No more pages to load