Michael Jordan was exceptional in his rookie season and established himself as one of the best young players in the league. But the Bulls were sub-par and finished with a 38-44 record. However, one of their wins was an emphatic 25-point thrashing of reigning champions Celtics, their biggest win of the year and Boston’s largest defeat.
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After handing them the embarrassing loss, the Bulls rubbed the Celtics’ nose in it, which did not sit well with Larry Bird and the rest of the roster. The two teams met again 17 days later at the TD Garden and the home team beat the visitors 111-108. After the win, the usually measured Bird called out Chicago, saying,
“They can’t say things now without going out and proving it”
Narrowly beating the lowly Bulls at home after suffering a humiliating loss against them less than three weeks prior and then boasting about it seemed petulant. However, Jordan, who finished the game with 36 points, six assists, and six rebounds, was humble in defeat. In the post-game interview, he said,
“We don’t have the right to create bad blood with the world champs… We’re a young team trying to get where they are. We had our chances, but we weren’t intimidated.”
At the time, Bird wasn’t afraid of calling out Jordan and provoking him. But a year later, he learned he should refrain from doing it.
When Larry Bird saw God in Michael Jordan
In the 1986 playoffs, the Bulls faced off against the Celtics in the first round. The common consensus was that Boston would thrash Chicago and move on to the next round. However, Jordan had other ideas.
In Game 2 at TD Garden, the guard scored 63 points on 53.6% shooting, dished six assists, grabbed five rebounds, stole the ball thrice, and blocked the ball twice in a display for the ages. Over 38 years have passed but no player since has scored 60 points in a playoff game.
The Bulls still lost the game, but the sophomore star’s performance left a massive impression on Bird, who later famously said,
“”I didn’t think anyone was capable of doing what Michael has done to us… He is the most exciting, awesome player in the game today. I think it’s just God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
The legendary forward’s assessment may have felt a bit over the top at the time. However, Jordan turned it into a prophecy. In the subsequent 12 years, he won ten scoring titles, five MVP awards, two three-peats, and six Finals MVP trophies. He left the game as arguably the greatest ever.
