Michael Jordan is a golf fanatic alongside being a golfing legend, and one particular golf outing with Danny Ainge gave him legendary status.
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The Bulls legend has accomplished what NBA players dream of doing in his career. Six championships, six Finals MVP’s, five NBA MVP’s, an obvious Hall of Fame induction, and much more has cemented Jordan’s legacy as the greatest NBA player of all time.
So, why was his career so confusing? Well, he retired thrice in his career, to give you some context. If that sounds weird to you, that’s because it is. His first retirement was by far the most surprising as it came only nine years into his career, and he had just started to win at the highest level, coming off of his first three-peat.
Aside from basketball, Jordan loves golfing. He even built a personal golf course for himself called The Grove 23, paying $15 million to make it happen. The course is nicknamed ‘Slaughterhouse 23’ given how dominant Jordan is there.
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Michael Jordan turned a golf outing with Danny Ainge into a legendary playoff performance
The Chicago Bulls went into the 1986 playoffs with very little expectations. They had been a bottom feeder in the league before Michael Jordan, and even though he had proven to be a star, nobody thought the Bulls were real contenders.
They were also massive underdogs in their first round series against the mighty Boston Celtics featuring Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson.
The Bulls were simply no match for the Celtics. After losing game one to Boston by 19 points, Jordan called Danny Ainge to play a round of golf as he was missing a member.
Ainge and Jordan played every hole for money, and Jordan ended up losing out to the Celtics guard. However, that defeat was a warning sign for game two.
“I did beat him, and I did talk a little trash,” Ainge recalled. “I just remember it was a good time. He did say when I got dropped off, ‘Tell your boy DJ I’ve got something for him tomorrow.’ Michael was so competitive. He really, really wanted to win.”
The next game, Jordan poured in a 63 points, the NBA record for the playoffs, a record that still stands to this day. Ainge and the Celtics were shook.
“He just put on a clinic,” Ainge explained. “We just all left that series thinking, like, ‘This guy is the new kid on the block. This guy is the new best player in the NBA.’ ”
That performance also led to one of the most memorable and iconic quotes in NBA history. Celtics legend Larry Bird summed up Jordan’s performance in the best way possible.
“I didn’t think anyone was capable of doing what Michael has done to us,” he marveled. “He is the most exciting, awesome player in the game today. I think it’s just God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
The Bulls still lost the game 135-131 in double overtime, but Jordan set the stage for his future. That playoff performance foreshadowed how great he was going to be. Bird and the Celtics would sweep the Bulls, but Jordan’s 63-point game is the most memorable moment from that series.
