Michael Jordan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 alongside fellow legends David Robinson and John Stockton, but Jerry Reinsdorf, longtime owner of the Chicago Bulls, believed that MJ should have had the stage all to himself.
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Reinsdorf was slightly biased, after all, Jordan had made the Bulls the best team in the world for a decade. His 6 titles are to this day the only times the Bulls have tasted victory in the Finals, and it’s understandable that he wanted Mike to be honored alone. From a story written by ESPN’s Melissa Isaacson that was published at the time of his induction:
“There’s something about his induction that bothers me,” Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said a few weeks ago about Jordan’s entry into the Basketball Hall of Fame. “It bothers me that he should be part of a class. He should go in by himself, not so much as an honor for Michael but for the Hall of Fame.”
It’s an interesting argument to make. On the one hand, this happened well before LeBron James was any threat to Jordan’s title as the GOAT. At the time, MJ was universally accepted as the greatest player to ever lace them up, so maybe he did deserve to have special recognition beyond just being inducted into the Hall like so many other players.
On the other hand, Robinson and Stockton were all-time legends in their own right, so had Reinsdorf’s suggestion been acted upon, it would’ve been seen as an act of disrespect to two tremendous players. What would Reinsdorf propose happen to them, delay their induction a year? Have two separate ceremonies a night or two apart?
There’s really no easy way to accomplish what Reinsdorf proposed without ruffling some feathers, and at the end of the day, the Hall of Fame is there to honor the greatest players of all time, not to assign them a hierarchy. That’s for fans and the media to do.
Reinsdorf saying that having Jordan in the Hall of Fame would be more an honor for the Hall than for Jordan himself feels like an owner that was blamed for ending the Jordan Bulls dynasty too early trying to save face by going overboard in support of the guy that brought him six rings.
Michael Jordan still stole the show at the HOF
Having Robinson and Stockton to share the stage with did nothing to make people forget that Jordan was the greatest to ever play, not only because of his skill, but because of his unrivaled intensity and competitive edge. In what has to be the most famous Hall of Fame speech of all time, Jordan spent less time talking about fond memories of playing the game and more time calling out everyone who had ever doubted him throughout his career, even going back to high school.
For some, Jordan’s speech was viewed as unbecoming of such a legend, but those people are missing the point. Jordan would never have become the GOAT if he didn’t have a competitive desire that bordered on the sociopathic. It’s what allowed him to push himself beyond where any other player was willing to go.
Jordan called Reinsdorf out, both positively and negatively, in his speech, saying, “Jerry provided a lot of obstacles for me, but at the same time, the guy gave me an opportunity to perform at the highest level in terms of basketball.”
Even without a solo induction ceremony, Michael Jordan reminded everyone why he was the greatest to ever do it, and for many fans, he still holds that title 15 years later.
