“It was nice to score 32 on Michael Jordan”: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf on Beating the 72-10 Bulls Team in 1996
Only a few people in the history of the game can proudly say put up a show on Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the 90s. One of them we all know is the man who dared crossing him over and tell the world of his arrival on the biggest stage, that’s of course Allen Iverson. However, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf also did it against a prime MJ as well.
One of the biggest ‘what ifs’ of the NBA, the 6ft 1” point guard, who played in the league for just 8 years before getting blackballed for his stance on the National Anthem, recently reminisced about one of his many terrific performances on the grandest stage for basketball.
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf remembers his 30-ball against Michael Jordan and the 96 Bulls
“They put [Michael] Jordan at the point guard, they were trying to run him at the point… and I was the third visit [guarding MJ].” Rauf revealed. “I’m tryna kill him, tryna get him off of me immediately, which ended up working. But I tell guys all the time, ‘It was nice to score 32 and beat ‘em, but I would flip it round and have the championship.”
Also read: John Havlicek vs Michael Jordan: How Does Celtics Legend Match Up To His Airness?
It might have been Abdul-Rauf’s last meaningful season, but he made sure NBA fans remembered him
A man who was going to be out of the NBA in a couple of years stole that one victory away from MJ which would have still kept them 73-9 as NBA’s most win in a regular season.
He did it when the Bulls were on a 10-game win streak and 41-3 in the season. Makes it even greater, doesn’t it? But, he got a ban just after that great individual season for him.
As soon as that career high season ended for him, he started getting treated differently for something he stood for, that actually could have been appreciated in today’s world. Alas! It had to end that way, he would have have been an all time great.
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