Michael Jordan, the basketball legend, mesmerized audiences with his court prowess, captivating fans worldwide. His mesmerizing skills and clutch performances drew crowds, creating an electrifying atmosphere. Jordan’s popularity transcended boundaries, having had a fanbase beyond just Chicago and the USA. In fact, he was so good at it, he revealed to Sports Illustrated that he even revolutionized ‘Garbage Time.’
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‘Garbage Time’ is the term used to refer to the final moments of a game in which one side has an insurmountable lead. It’s during this time that most teams send out their substitutes to finish off the game. However, when His Airness was still playing, he had a different term for it. He called it ‘Encore Time’, because it was the last few minutes fans got to see him play.
Michael Jordan made ‘Garbage Time’ fun for fans with what he called ‘Encore Time’
From 1984, all the way till his retirement, Michael Jordan was one of the most entertaining players in the NBA. His mind-blowing style of play kept fans enthralled with the game of basketball from start to finish. In fact, Jordan was so amazing, he could even make ‘Garbage Time’ seem entertaining.
Usually, when fans see their team losing they tend to leave early to avoid traffic. But, when their team was losing to His Airness, and Phil Jackson decided to send him out for the last few minutes, they were glued to their seats.
In fact, MJ even coined a special term for it. He called it ‘Encore Time’, because it was that special part of the night when Phil decided to let the fans take in his greatness. Essentially allowing him to close out the game and give everyone in attendance a memorable night.
“Normal person? Jordan is now so accustomed to dutifully pleasing a crowd to being the only reason that a great many people have come to the arena that he appeared to invent a new phrase last week to describe that period when he is reinserted into the game in the final minutes of a blowout victory: ‘Encore time,’ he called it, as in, ‘Phil was trying to give me some encore time tonight.'”
Jordan truly was one of the greatest the game has ever seen. And, his fourth-quarter escapades were something else entirely. While he was dominant throughout the game, he took things to a whole other level in the dying embers.
MJ was a dominant force who would take over games in the fourth quarter with a snap of a finger
Michael Jordan’s greatness extended beyond flashy plays and blowout victories. His true dominance came in the fourth quarter when he fearlessly took over games. Whether it was sinking clutch shots, making crucial defensive plays, or leading comebacks. Jordan’s competitive spirit and unmatched skills allowed him to seize control and leave an indelible mark on the outcome, regardless of the scoreline.
All you would have to do is see just how many times MJ has saved the Bulls from embarrassing situations with his dominant play in the final moments of the game.
His Airness truly is the GOAT, and while there may be many people who challenge him for the title in years to come, what he showed fans on the court was undeniably special and irreplicable.
