In 1993, Michael Jordan took the world by surprise when he announced his retirement from the NBA. MJ made this announcement right after winning three championships in a row. There were several assumptions behind his retirement, but Jordan felt that he’d lost the drive.
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“When I lose the sense of motivation and the sense of, to prove something as a basketball player, it’s time for me to move away. It’s not because I don’t love the game. I always will. I just feel that I have reached the pinnacle of my career.”
In his time away from the sport, MJ was playing baseball in Minor League Baseball. After nearly fifteen months away from the sport, MJ decided he wanted to get back to basketball. He made his NBA return in March 1995. Before his return, Steve Kerr saw His Airness in practice and shared how he looked offensively.
Steve Kerr described how Michael Jordan’s offense looked
Playing baseball for over a year, MJ’s body wasn’t entirely fit for basketball when he returned. He had to change his training regimen and re-focus on a lot of different muscles while attempting his comeback.
His teammate and the Bulls’ 3-point specialist, Steve Kerr, described MJ’s offensive game in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
“The only thing that looks different is his jump shot, which hasn’t been going in regularly. As for his moves, you know how they are. You can’t write them down on paper, you can’t describe them, you just have to watch them. He’s made plenty of those moves in practice and had us gaping.”
The Bulls Head Coach Phil Jackson shared the same opinion. He felt that MJ’s jump shot, which was one of the deadliest weapons in his arsenal, wasn’t the same when he was attempting his comeback.
The Bulls went to the playoffs that season, and were eliminated by Shaquille O’Neal and his Orlando Magic.
How did MJ perform in the 1994-95 season?
In his first game back after 17 months, Michael Jordan recorded 19 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals in a 103-96 overtime loss to Indiana. He played 17 games, averaging 26.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists a game.
In the playoffs, the Bulls beat the Hornets 3-1 in the first round. In the second round, they faced Shaquille O’Neal and the Magic. Despite MJ averaging 31.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, Shaq and the Magic beat the Bulls in six games.
After that season, the Bulls went on to win three championships in a row, and the rest, as they say, is history.
