Michael Jordan returned to the NBA on March 1995 after a year-and-a-half-long sabbatical from the game. The NBA couldn’t be happier with the return of its greatest son. And as the Bulls got past their opponents in the 1st round of the Eastern Conference, the league as well as the fans were ready to witness the 3x Finals MVP win another. However, it ended up being a post-season that would announce the arrival of Shaquille O’Neal. The Easter Conference Semi-Finals would see the Magic and the Bulls juggernauts pull some antics that people would never expect them to. Jordan even changed his jersey number mid-series which cost him and the Bulls over $100,000.
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Since his return to the NBA, MJ was wearing #45, which was his Baseball number. However, after the Bulls lost Game 1, he switched back to #23 without informing the league about it. ‘His Airness’ was initially fined $25,000, but it then climbed to $100,000. However, that would not be the biggest whiplash in that series for the Bulls.
Michael Jordan’s jersey change cost the Bulls $100,000 in 1995 and it couldn’t stop them from losing the ECF
Michael Jordan returned to the NBA with one of his missions being to ‘teach younger kids respect for the league.’ However, he broke one of the league policies himself when he lost Game 1 of the ECF to the Magic at the last moment and heard Nick Anderson say, “No. 45 doesn’t explode like No. 23 used to”.
“Like my uniform?” Jordan asked reporters before Game 3 as he walked past a jersey without any number as per Sports Illustrated. His wearing a numberless jersey caused the fine to go up $75,000 more.
MJ’s superstition and hypocrisy ticked people off in the wrong manner. It even led to both O’Neal and Horace Grant wanting to change their jerseys, maybe just to mock Jordan. They also did so by defeating the Bulls 4-2 in the series.
“The day before Game 4, Grant said he was going to talk to NBA commissioner David Stern. ‘I’m planning to wear Number 54 ½,’” read an article from Sports Illustrated.
Shaq crowned Michael Jordan the Superman of the NBA
While he was unwinding the Bulls to send them home in the 1995 Playoffs, Shaq, had some kind words for Michael, whom he missed while he was not in the league.
The Big Aristotle, who loved his nickname “Superman”, gave it to Jordan without asking. “He’s Superman, I’m Superboy,” said O’Neal, who was averaging a 20-point double-double in that series (and the Playoffs) had said.
