“I don’t know about you guys, I’m only packing one suit”: When Michael Jordan declared that there wasn’t going to be a Game 7 against Charles Barkley’s Suns in 1993 Finals

Akash Murty | 09/05/2022
"I don’t know about you guys, I’m only packing one suit": When Michael Jordan declared that there wasn't going to be a Game 7 against Charles Barkley's Suns in 1993 Finals

Michael Jordan and the Bulls were getting ready for a Game 6 against the Suns when the GOAT came up with the most psych dialogue of all time.

At a certain point of time when we hear a Michael Jordan story where he said something outrageous and legendary, we don’t feel as amazed as we used to feel when we first came to know about “His Airness”. 

Some of his statements during his playing career which have been well-documented in “The Last Dance” have become much more famous since that docu-series came out in 2020. 

One such Hollywood movie-like dialogue came out when his Chicago Bulls were set to face Charles Barkley’s Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals for Game 6.

Also read: “Michael Jordan has 718 and Wilt Chamberlain has 705”: Luka Doncic joins elite company with 655 points in his first 20 playoff games, as Mavs level series 2-2

Having lost Game 5 108-98, allowing the Suns to find a way back into the series the Bulls team might be having some butterflies in their stomach for the next game, but Jordan wasn’t. On the team plane, he addressed the team and said, “I don’t know about you guys, I’m only packing one suit.” 

Michael Jordan almost saw a Game 7 but then John Paxon happened

Reaching the end of a tremendous game the Bulls were trailing the game by 4 points with just over a minute remaining in the game and the Suns had the possession. Though Jordan had all the points in that last quarter trying his best to deliver what he told his teammates, Game 7 was looking imminent.

Winning that championship would also mean that they would be the first team since the Boston Celtics of the 60s to three-peat. And there was another motivation as Chuck won the MVP over Mike that season, “You (Chuck) can have that (MVP), I’m gonna get this (NBA title),” declared the 5x MVP. 

We all know how “Jordan never played game 7”, and so the man would collect a crucial board, and ran full length of the court, for a typical Air Jordan layup through traffic. Suns had another chance to seal the deal by making it a 2-possession game but they missed again.

While Barkley passed up his chance to get another shot at his one and only title and saw the ball getting turned over, Jordan passed the rock maybe for the first time in that quarter to see Pippen pass it to an open John Paxon who would drain the three for the championship.

Also read: “I never thought I was playing just Michael Jordan, I was playing the Chicago Bulls”: When Karl Malone spoke about preparing for the finals in 1998

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
Charles Barkely Chicago Bulls John Paxson Michael Jordan Phoenix Suns

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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