In the annals of NBA history, the 1991 Finals remains a major highlight. Apart from kickstarting the three-peat era of Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, it marked the only ever finals series between him and Magic Johnson. The emotions ran high when the Bulls ensured the championship win with a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Magic subsequently refused to hold himself back as he described the bittersweet feeling of losing to ‘the Black Jesus.’
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The series started on a rough note for the Bulls as they lost Game 1 in front of the home crowd of Illinois. Following that, Jordan stepped up to guide the franchise to win their first championship. Averaging 44 minutes per game, the shooting guard spearheaded the team in assists (11.4) and blocks (1.4) while leading the series in points (31.2) and steals (2.8).
This remarkable display by Jordan spell bounded Johnson as the 5x champion accepted his fate after the defeat.
“It’s a beautiful feeling…If you’re going to lose, you’re going to lose to them, and I’m going to lose to Michael. That’s how it should be,” the point guard declared after the conclusion of the series.
Years later, the 64-year-old expressed a similar stance while revealing further details surrounding the moment. In The Last Dance documentary series, Johnson mentioned,
“When they beat us, we met in between both locker rooms and he just put his arms [out] and just started crying…He was so happy that he had won, that he had busted through. That was a special moment for him and myself”.
This provided a snapshot of the brotherhood between the NBA Hall of Famers. Despite having to compete on-court for the silverware, the off-court bond between the players always remained strong. Thus, the final buzzer resulted in the disappearance of their competitive spirit as an ‘older’ Magic embraced the success of a ‘younger’ Michael.
Why did Michael Jordan become so emotional?
The Bulls entered the series with a chip on their shoulders having never won a title in the franchise’s history. Therefore, the defeat in Game 1 at home stadium, significantly tilted the odds against their favour. So, a comeback from such circumstances, that too against the most dominant team of the 1980s certainly made MJ tear up.
The triumph also marked a statement from the roster following their constant setbacks in conference playoffs against rivals Detroit Pistons. Crossing the hurdle of Pistons in itself was the beginning of a new era for the Bulls. Defeating the Lakers on top of it made their wildest dreams come true.
Looking back, the moment carried a major significance on an individual level too. The triumph served as the instance Johnson passed the torch to Jordan as the new face of the league. The latter certainly acknowledged the exchange for that as he later revealed, “At last, I fit somewhere in the category of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson”.
