Michael Jordan has won almost everything a player dreams to win in basketball. Apart from being an NCAA Champion, Jordan also collected six NBA titles, six Finals Most Valuable Players, five MVPs, and 10 scoring titles. Along with numerous All-Star and All-NBA selections, the Chicago Bulls legend has even established a staggering $2 billion net worth. However, this all would have gone south because of one incident. A 21-year-old, Michael Jordan suffered a horrific and potentially season-ending injury in the opening minutes of his debut in 1984, which could have stopped him to dominate the league, which he eventually did.
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The Chicago Bulls of the 90s are one of the best dynasties in the NBA today. But, back in the 1980s, the Illinois side had a reputation of being a “traveling cocaine circus”. Even as explained by Jordan in The Last Dance, as a rookie, he saw his teammates indulge in all sorts of drugs. Despite some of the players being addicted to drugs, Jordan put on a terrific rookie campaign and led the franchise to a postseason appearance.
Michael Jordan took a dangerous fall just minutes into his NBA debut
Even though Michael Jordan wasn’t the top two picks of the 1984 Draft, the Tar Heel prospect was highly talked about. During his stint with the University of North Carolina, MJ became a household name for his high-leaping abilities. Trying to excite the fans on his NBA debut, the 21-year-old rookie decided to put Jeff Ruland in a poster when the ball wasn’t in play.
With the Bulls leading 45-28 in the first half, Jordan was called for a traveling violation. Instead of giving up the ball, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard decided to take off and put down an emphatic jam. Despite the whistle, Ruland denied Jordan from getting the satisfaction of making the flashy play. As a result, the athletic combo guard suffered a horrific fall. Take a look at Michael Jordan Archives’ YouTube video.
What seemed like a potentially season-ending injury, the fall didn’t seem to have any adverse effect on his production. The third pick of the ’84 draft ended up playing a game-high 40 minutes. His 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists performance allowed the Bulls to clinch a 109-93 win.
Jordan retired in 2003 following several lower body injuries
Jordan’s first two retirements had nothing to do with injury. Back in 1993, ‘His Airness’ decided to quit basketball and try his hand at Baseball following his father’s murder. Later in 1998, Jordan hung his boots following the dismantling of the Bulls roster. But in 2003, Air Jordan retired for the final time after succumbing to several lower body injuries.
For someone in his late 30s, the eventual Hall-Of-Famer had terrific 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 seasons. As a member of the Washington Wizards, Jordan lodged 21.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 rebounds. Unfortunately, Michael couldn’t keep up with ‘father time’ and decided to call it quits for the last time.
