“Michael Jordan dunked all over his former teammate despite an injury in the NBA Finals”: The ‘GOAT’ put Sam Perkins on a poster when going up against Magic Johnson and the Lakers in 1991

Michael Jordan posterized Sam Perkins, a former teammate of his, in Game 4 despite suffering from a toe injury in the game prior. 

Michael Jordan and the resilience he showed night in and night out on the basketball court is something that should be more appreciated than it already is. His competitive spirit was unmatched and as Byron Scott said, “Don’t trash talk Michael because he’ll drop 40 on you.” Jordan had several different forms of motivation to keep him going in a game besides trash talk however. 

Going into the 1991 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan was haunted by the ghost of NBA legends such as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, and more. This was due to the fact that they were all able to capitalize on their greatness and win a championship while also being a statistical monster. Jordan had been in the league for 7 years and hadn’t sniffed the promiseland even once.

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After having bested the Detroit Pistons in the 1991 ECF by way of a sweep, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls had set themselves up on a date with the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers. 

Michael Jordan dunked over a former teammate of his in Game 4 despite having an injury. 

Talking about the motivations Jordan had when it came to excelling on the basketball court, at the time, winning his first ring would have been the foremost concern for him. Game 3 of the 1991 NBA Finals saw ‘His Airness’ drop a near 30 point triple double as he posted up 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. 

However, Game 3 also gave Bulls fans a scare that would’ve determined the fate of how the series goes. Jordan had injured his toe in this game and was listed as questionable for Game 4. he did not practice prior to the game either. However, in classic Michael Jordan fashion, he willed his way back onto the floor and got his team the victory.

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In doing so, he also put his toughness on display by leaping off of the same foot with the injured toe to put a familiar face on a poster. Sam Perkins was a former teammate of Mike’s back at North Carolina but this seemingly meant nothing to the 5x MVP as he dunked all over him during Game 4