A singular coin flip in the 1984 NBA Draft could’ve resulted in Michael Jordan perhaps becoming a Houston Rocket.
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The 1984 NBA Draft is widely regarded as one of the greatest drafts in the history of the league. Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton all turned out to be first ballot Hall-of-Famers who led their respective teams to at least one run to the Finals, regardless of if a title was acquired by them.
Of course, MJ was the most successful of the bunch. While Hakeem does have ‘top 10 player of all time’ status, his accomplishments pale in comparison to Jordan’s. With no context, fans are adamant in their belief that the UNC alum should have gone 1st overall in the 1984 NBA Draft. And well, they would be right.
However, it’s easy to forget just how much of a slam dunk the Olajuwon pick was considered by General Managers across the board. The Chicago Bulls GM at the time, Rod Thorn, admitted on ‘The Last Dance’ that if he was still on the board at the number 3 pick, he would’ve picked him over Michael Jordan.
What many forget is that the fate of who goes where that year was decided by a mere coin flip.
Also read: 6ft 6′ Charles Barkley’s open challenge to Michael Jordan’s intimidation ways in the 1993 NBA Finals
Michael Jordan could’ve been a Houston Rocket.
From 1966 to 1984, the NBA used a coin to determine the fate of the two worst teams in each conference. Both of these two teams would flip a coin to find out who was going to be awarded with the first overall pick. The ’84 Draft would be the last time this system was employed.
In the 1983-84 season, the Portland Trailblazers actually won 48 games but had acquired Indiana’s FRP for this year’s draft in 1981. With Indiana being the worst team out East, the Blazers had entered the sweepstakes. As for the Rockets, they finished with 29 wins and were the worst team in their conference.
Michael Jordan and Hakeem (then known as Akeem) Olajuwon were the prized jewels at their respective positions. Of course, as history would dictate, Houston won the coin flip and chose Hakeem, leaving Sam Bowie for the Blazers. However, what if Portland had won that coin toss?
The only reason the Blazers chose Bowie over Michael Jordan was because they desperately needed a center to pair alongside a budding Clyde Drexler. However, if they got the first pick, they most definitely would take Hakeem. With Houston not having their hometown pick left for them, would they have taken an injury riddled Sam Bowie?
The Rockets at the time already had Ralph Sampson and so they could’ve easily decided to upgrade from Craig Ehlo and go all out for Michael Jordan with their 2nd pick. This ‘sliding doors’ moment is perhaps one of the most overlooked moments in NBA history.
