WEBVTT - Nick Wright's Top 50 NBA Players of the Last 50 Years | #3: Michael Jordan 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:03.240 This episode is brought to you by all State. Some 0:00:03.279 --> 0:00:06.080 people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance 0:00:06.160 --> 0:00:08.840 by checking all State first. Like you know to check 0:00:08.880 --> 0:00:12.440 the date of the Big Game first before you accidentally 0:00:12.440 --> 0:00:15.480 buy tickets on your twentieth wedding anniversary and have to 0:00:15.480 --> 0:00:17.920 spend the next twenty years of your marriage making up 0:00:17.920 --> 0:00:21.520 for it. Yeah, checking first is smart, So check all 0:00:21.560 --> 0:00:23.880 State first for a quote that could save you hundreds. 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:26.600 You're in good hands with All States savings. Very terms 0:00:26.640 --> 0:00:41.400 apply All State Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. 0:00:42.560 --> 0:00:47.559 Welcome in another very special edition of the fifty greatest 0:00:47.560 --> 0:00:50.720 Players of the last fifty years. As we continue our 0:00:50.880 --> 0:00:54.360 countdown and we are now to the truly hollowed ground, 0:00:54.880 --> 0:00:58.080 the top three and all along everyone has known who 0:00:58.160 --> 0:00:59.960 the top three are. The top three are going to 0:01:00.320 --> 0:01:05.039 be in some order, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Lebron James and 0:01:05.160 --> 0:01:09.120 Michael Jordan. The question has always been what is the order? 0:01:09.200 --> 0:01:13.160 And let me say this, I know some people when 0:01:13.240 --> 0:01:17.080 we do the goat debate a ton on sports television, 0:01:17.480 --> 0:01:20.759 and one thing I have been incredibly consistent on and 0:01:20.800 --> 0:01:21.840 some people agree with me. 0:01:21.920 --> 0:01:23.640 I think Dan Patrick agrees with me. 0:01:24.360 --> 0:01:28.040 I think the man I'm about to mention himself agrees 0:01:28.080 --> 0:01:32.200 with me that the goat debate is almost always constricted 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:36.920 to Lebron and Michael. But there is a third person that, 0:01:37.080 --> 0:01:41.400 by any measure, should be included, and that is Kareem 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:45.000 Abdul Jabbar. And so if the goat debate is truly 0:01:45.080 --> 0:01:48.640 a three person debate, that means there should there is 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:53.920 someone who might be the greatest player ever, who actually 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:55.800 must come in as the. 0:01:55.680 --> 0:01:56.960 Third greatest player ever. 0:01:57.360 --> 0:02:00.560 And that is how we land here today in one 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:05.640 of the most famous, most celebrated, most accomplished athletes in 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:08.960 the history of any sport coming in at number three 0:02:09.240 --> 0:02:14.720 on our list, the third greatest player of the last fifty. 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:17.680 Years, Number three, Michael Jordan. 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:21.560 Now, before I even get into it, let me say this. 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:24.440 This is a celebration of these players. 0:02:24.560 --> 0:02:28.560 Okay, all of these lists, all of these videos have 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:31.600 been about how amazing these people were. 0:02:31.280 --> 0:02:32.720 And everything they accomplished. 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:36.840 Now, by virtue of having Jordan third, folks are going 0:02:36.880 --> 0:02:39.600 to say I am hating on him, I am trying 0:02:39.639 --> 0:02:40.560 to tear him down. 0:02:41.000 --> 0:02:43.359 None of that is true. And the way I would 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:43.760 like to do. 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:46.600 This is over the next twenty to twenty five minutes, 0:02:47.160 --> 0:02:51.120 I'm going to speak in almost exclusively glowing terms about 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:54.360 Michael Jordan. Then we'll take a break, and on the 0:02:54.480 --> 0:02:57.839 back end, I'm sure we're gonna have some callers, maybe 0:02:57.880 --> 0:03:00.720 even a caller that played with Michael Jordan, tell me 0:03:00.760 --> 0:03:04.600 why I'm an idiot. On that side, I will defend 0:03:04.680 --> 0:03:05.919 his ranking at three. 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:08.000 As opposed to two or as opposed to one. 0:03:08.360 --> 0:03:10.720 But right now, what I want to talk about is 0:03:10.760 --> 0:03:16.200 what he did, and what he did was arguably have the. 0:03:16.240 --> 0:03:19.400 Highest peak of any player ever. 0:03:20.200 --> 0:03:24.640 Jordan's apex, you could argue, is the goat apex. The 0:03:24.800 --> 0:03:31.400 problem is, unlike Lebron and Kareem, the career was shockingly brief. 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:36.200 Now what he fit into that shockingly brief career is 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:38.680 all time stuff. So let's go through it. He is 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:42.000 ten time first Team All NBA. That is tied for 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:44.920 the fourth most ever, one time second team All NBA. 0:03:45.280 --> 0:03:48.520 He is five time League MVP that is the second 0:03:48.560 --> 0:03:53.640 most ever, and five other Top three finishes that is 0:03:53.800 --> 0:03:57.840 ten total career top three MVP finishes. 0:03:58.440 --> 0:04:01.720 Only Lebron and Kareem have more. 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:04.600 He is a ten times scoring champion, is a one 0:04:04.680 --> 0:04:07.560 time Defensive Player of the Year. He is nine time 0:04:07.640 --> 0:04:10.640 All Defense, He is a three times steals champ, and 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:14.600 he is fifth all time in points score on career 0:04:14.640 --> 0:04:16.840 points per game. There's all regular season and stuff. We'll 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:18.960 get to the playoffs stuff shortly, as we always do. 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:23.560 Regular season the most, the thirty points per game in 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:27.239 the regular season, the most ever, the only career thirty 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:31.480 point per game scorer in NBA regular season history, a 0:04:31.640 --> 0:04:37.880 career average of thirty points, six rebounds, five assists on 0:04:38.040 --> 0:04:43.039 fifty percent shooting. His first career thirty five point game 0:04:43.760 --> 0:04:46.560 was the third game of his career. His first career 0:04:47.040 --> 0:04:49.919 forty five point game was the tenth game. 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:50.359 Of his career. 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:53.000 And as you will see here, and as I want 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:56.280 to illustrate here briefly in the regular season portion before 0:04:56.320 --> 0:05:00.599 we get to the playoffs, Jordan's career, I think, for 0:05:00.760 --> 0:05:04.599 good and for bad, gets distilled far too often to 0:05:04.720 --> 0:05:08.400 as if he only played six seasons, and that allows 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:12.280 people to say, oh, he never lost, which is obviously 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:18.000 not true. However, what it denies Jordan is how utterly 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:22.440 brilliant he was from almost the moment he walked in 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:25.360 the league. So Jordan is awesome as a rookie, wins 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:28.120 Rookie of the Year. Jordan in year two breaks his 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:33.080 foot and barely plays. Starting in year three, before he 0:05:33.320 --> 0:05:39.400 ever sniffed a championship, Michael Jordan was already arguably the 0:05:39.440 --> 0:05:44.640 best player in the sport. In year three, Michael Jordan 0:05:44.800 --> 0:05:48.920 averaged thirty seven points per game. That is the most 0:05:48.960 --> 0:05:52.160 points anyone has ever averaged in a season not. 0:05:52.160 --> 0:05:53.160 Named Wilt Chamberlain. 0:05:53.600 --> 0:05:58.520 In year four, Michael Jordan averaged thirty five points, five 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:05.240 rebounds six. In year five, a year he averaged a 0:06:05.240 --> 0:06:08.239 triple double for damn near a month he's playing point guard, 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:13.719 he averaged thirty three, eight and eight, and in year 0:06:13.880 --> 0:06:19.520 six Michael Jordan averaged thirty four, seven and six. Those 0:06:19.600 --> 0:06:23.479 years don't get discussed with the way they should because 0:06:24.000 --> 0:06:28.560 they didn't end in championships. But those four seasons, years 0:06:28.760 --> 0:06:33.080 three through six, Michael Jordan, over three hundred and thirty 0:06:33.160 --> 0:06:37.720 games played in the regular season, averaged thirty. 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:41.520 Five, six and six, and then. 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:44.440 He started winning titles again before we get to the 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:47.560 playoffs start stuff. And again, by the way, that thirty five, 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:50.279 six and six came along with three steals per game, 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:53.919 on fifty two percent shooting Kobe Bryant did. It was 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:57.279 the best Michael Jordan impersonator we ever had, if you will, 0:06:57.279 --> 0:06:57.800 for the late. 0:06:57.680 --> 0:06:58.599 Great Kobe Bryant. 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:01.840 Well, Kobe Bryant was never acquired able to uh Master 0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:04.560 was the efficiency that Jordan was able to score with 0:07:05.160 --> 0:07:08.320 he is. He's scored at least thirty points five hundred 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:09.600 and sixty two times. 0:07:09.800 --> 0:07:10.960 That is the most all time. 0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:13.560 He's scored at least one hundred or of forty points 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:16.520 one hundred and seventy three times, one hundred and seventy 0:07:16.520 --> 0:07:18.880 three forty point games. That is the second most all 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:22.080 time to WILF Chamberlain. He's scored at least fifty points 0:07:22.280 --> 0:07:24.880 thirty one times. That is the second most all time 0:07:25.080 --> 0:07:29.520 to Wilt Chamberlain. So now we get to the postseason, okay, 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:34.160 and what you are going to see is there is 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:38.360 almost and this is another check mark in Jordan's favor. 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:42.600 To his credit, unlike Lebron and unlike Kareem, he never 0:07:42.720 --> 0:07:49.000 had the true dark playoff moment Lebron obviously in twenty eleven. 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:51.080 Kareem's were a little tougher. We'll get to it in 0:07:51.160 --> 0:07:54.720 the Kareem video. Jordan didn't have that, and that's to 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:58.280 his credit Michael Jordan, because even when he got swept, 0:07:58.440 --> 0:08:02.680 which happened early on, he wasn't playing poorly. So during 0:08:02.720 --> 0:08:05.560 six time Champs, six Time Finals MVP nineteen eighty five, 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:07.880 he is a rookie. They are playing members Sydney Moncree 0:08:07.880 --> 0:08:10.640 from those Milwaukee Bucks. He averaged is a rookie in 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:14.760 the playoffs twenty nine, six and nine and in the 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:17.320 only game they won, they lost three to one. He 0:08:17.360 --> 0:08:20.360 had thirty five points, eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals. 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:24.000 Nineteen eighty six, he misses most of the season with 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:28.000 a foot injury. He came back shortly before the playoffs. 0:08:28.320 --> 0:08:31.920 Played the eighty six Celtics in round one. Some people 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:36.080 argue that's the greatest team ever. Scored forty nine in 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:38.960 Game one and they lost in a blowout. Scored a 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:44.199 still playoff record sixty three points in a double overtime 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:49.040 loss in Game two. For this series, he averaged forty four, 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:53.120 six and six and his team got swept. The second 0:08:53.120 --> 0:08:55.719 best player in the seam was Orlando Woolridge. Can't really 0:08:55.760 --> 0:08:58.199 blame him for getting swept. He did average forty four, 0:08:58.320 --> 0:09:03.560 six and sixteen eighty seven, he is swept by Boston again. 0:09:04.280 --> 0:09:09.040 Despite this time he averaged only thirty six, seven and six. 0:09:09.360 --> 0:09:12.240 He did have forty two in game two. So at 0:09:12.240 --> 0:09:14.320 that point in his career has been in league three years. 0:09:15.120 --> 0:09:17.440 And boy, oh boy, if we had the modern media 0:09:17.679 --> 0:09:20.880 that we have now, then at that point Michael Jordan, 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:25.120 three years into his career, was owned three in playoff series, 0:09:25.920 --> 0:09:28.440 was one in nine in playoff games. 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:31.520 And and here's something I only most people know. The 0:09:31.559 --> 0:09:34.839 Bulls were under five hundred. They made the playoffs, but. 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:38.520 Were under five hundred in every one of those years. 0:09:39.480 --> 0:09:42.280 It wouldn't have been fair. But today's mud have been like, uh, 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:46.440 can you win? With Michael Jordan nineteen eighty eighty answered 0:09:46.480 --> 0:09:50.079 some of that wins League MVP Win's Defensive Player of 0:09:50.120 --> 0:09:53.280 the Year wins his first career series. Game one against 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:58.240 Cleveland has fifty points. Game two against Cleveland has fifty 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:03.280 five points scored four twenty four In Game four against 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:06.959 Cleveland on seventy two percent shooting, but they lost do 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:10.640 or Die. Game five, scored thirty nine points. Average for 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:14.560 the series forty five, five and five for his first 0:10:14.600 --> 0:10:17.439 series win. Very different story though in round two, you're 0:10:17.440 --> 0:10:20.160 playing Detroit. He only scored thirty one time. It was 0:10:20.200 --> 0:10:21.960 thirty six in a game two win, and they lose 0:10:22.000 --> 0:10:25.320 in five. Thats a great Pistons team that would come 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:27.800 this close to winning the title if Isaiah doesn't sprint 0:10:27.800 --> 0:10:28.199 his ankle. 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:29.839 Nineteen eighty nine. 0:10:30.200 --> 0:10:34.360 First truly deep playoff run and his first truly iconic 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:38.200 playoff moment. Singular moment obviously at the iconic game, the 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:42.079 sixty three against Bert, one of the most famous shots 0:10:42.080 --> 0:10:43.000 in NBA history, will. 0:10:42.920 --> 0:10:43.480 Get to a in the moment. 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:46.880 Round one against Cleveland, scores thirty in every single game, 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:52.240 averages forty points, six rebounds, eight assists for the series. 0:10:52.600 --> 0:10:55.360 Game three, series is tied one game apiece. 0:10:56.000 --> 0:11:00.559 He throws up a forty four to seven ten and 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:05.040 five forty four to seven ten and five. In Game four, 0:11:05.920 --> 0:11:10.520 he scores fifty, but they lose. No other Bulls scores 0:11:10.559 --> 0:11:14.560 more than fifteen. They lose in overtime. Game five, he 0:11:14.600 --> 0:11:20.000 has forty two, nine and six with one second left. 0:11:20.760 --> 0:11:24.720 He finished with forty four, nine and six. Because he 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:26.360 takes the inbounds, hits. 0:11:26.120 --> 0:11:28.680 The shot over Elo for the shot, and that is 0:11:28.720 --> 0:11:30.880 a true as true of a do or die shot 0:11:30.880 --> 0:11:33.800 as you can get. It's game five of five game series. 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:37.160 They are trailing by one. It is truly the final 0:11:37.160 --> 0:11:40.040 shot of the game. If he misses it, their season 0:11:40.120 --> 0:11:42.880 is over. If he makes it, maybe they can win 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:47.120 the title. He makes it for the so then goes on, well, 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:49.880 that's the shot that everyone's has seen for one hundred 0:11:49.960 --> 0:11:54.559 years now. Round two against the Knicks averages thirty six points, 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:56.000 ten rebounds, eight assists. 0:11:56.600 --> 0:11:59.920 Game three tied one to one in that series. 0:12:00.400 --> 0:12:03.920 Pardon me uh. Game three tite won one in that series. 0:12:04.200 --> 0:12:08.280 Has a forty fifteen, nine and six to take the 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:12.640 series lead. Game four has a forty seven, eleven and 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:15.000 six to go up three to one, and then in 0:12:15.040 --> 0:12:17.400 Game six to close them out close out the Knicks. 0:12:17.520 --> 0:12:20.240 Has a forty five and ten. 0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:23.000 In the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time ever, 0:12:23.320 --> 0:12:25.880 he puts up there one to one against Detroit. Game 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:29.800 three against the Detroit Pistons, the defending Eastern Conference champions, 0:12:29.840 --> 0:12:32.480 but the Pistons have not won a title yet. Game 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:37.280 three series tie throws up a forty six, seven, five 0:12:37.480 --> 0:12:41.520 and five, but then he's not great in Games four 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:44.720 and five and they lose three straight to lose the series. 0:12:44.800 --> 0:12:47.520 Game six, Pipping plays one minute. It's one of the 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:49.480 famous things. Go to the last dance if you want 0:12:49.480 --> 0:12:52.360 more unpipping struggles in the final games against the Pistons 0:12:52.360 --> 0:12:54.640 in these couple of years, we're gonna talk about. Pippin 0:12:54.720 --> 0:12:57.760 just averaged nine points for the series. Jordan, by the way, 0:12:57.840 --> 0:13:00.000 for that postseason to get to his first career Compt 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:03.520 Finals thirty five, seven and eight. 0:13:03.800 --> 0:13:07.520 So here is again, Jordan at this point has. 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:10.080 Never gotten out of the East and look at and 0:13:10.160 --> 0:13:12.640 look at how great he had been in that post 0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:15.200 in those postseasons. It's one of the reasons why I 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:18.840 hate when we just distill the career to the championship years. 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:23.440 It actually denies some of the greatness of early peak 0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:27.040 athletic Michael Jordan. So nineteen ninety, he's now gotten his 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:30.520 first taste of the conference finals. Beats Milwaukee in round one. 0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:34.000 Jordan averages thirty seven points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three block, 0:13:34.080 --> 0:13:34.800 three steals. 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:36.280 Round two against Philly. 0:13:36.320 --> 0:13:38.920 That Philly team had Charles Barkley, by the way, scored 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:43.719 at least thirty seven in all five games, including the 0:13:43.800 --> 0:13:47.480 following in games two, three, and four, a forty five, 0:13:47.520 --> 0:13:50.400 eight and seven a forty nine to five and five 0:13:50.760 --> 0:13:53.720 and a forty five, six and eleven. That's three straight 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:58.920 games for the series. Averaged forty three points, seven rebounds, 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:03.360 seven assists forced. Feels now he's got Detroit again. In 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:07.960 the Eastern Conference Finals, falls down oh two Detroit to 0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:11.600 the defending champs, goes for forty seven and ten in 0:14:11.640 --> 0:14:14.520 Game three, forty to a nine in Game four to 0:14:14.600 --> 0:14:18.360 even the series games. They then split games five and 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:23.720 six Game seven. Mj Now listen to this because they 0:14:23.760 --> 0:14:27.920 get blown out in Game seven. Okay, Jordan had thirty 0:14:27.920 --> 0:14:31.240 one points, eight rebounds, nine assists, So how do they 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:36.560 get blown out? Well, pipping goes one for ten. Jordan 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:38.960 was thirteen of twenty seven. 0:14:38.680 --> 0:14:39.320 From the field. 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:42.920 The rest of the Bulls were fifteen of sixty three 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:45.720 from the field. Jordan scored thirty one points, the rest 0:14:45.720 --> 0:14:48.400 of his team scored forty one points, and they lose 0:14:48.440 --> 0:14:52.040 to Detroit again despite Jordan averaging thirty seven, seven and 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:57.320 seven for the series. So now, now we've gotten through 0:14:57.880 --> 0:15:00.960 the early Jordan part of the careers, the struggles to 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:03.840 beat Bird, the struggles to beat the Pistons, and now 0:15:03.840 --> 0:15:06.760 we're about to get to the championship portion of his career. 0:15:06.920 --> 0:15:08.000 Nineteen ninety one. 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:12.440 Sweeped the Knicks in round one, Round two beats Chuck 0:15:12.520 --> 0:15:15.960 and the Sixers again. Scores forty six in Game three 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:17.800 in that series, which is actually the only game the 0:15:17.800 --> 0:15:18.760 Bulls lost. 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:20.640 In the elimination game of that series. 0:15:20.840 --> 0:15:24.920 Has thirty eight points, nineteen rebounds, and seven assists for 0:15:24.960 --> 0:15:28.360 that series against Chuck average thirty three, eight and eight. 0:15:28.760 --> 0:15:32.080 Then full vindication against the Pistons of the instag Commors 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:36.520 Finals sweeps him out of the playoffs. Mj averages thirty 0:15:37.040 --> 0:15:40.160 five and seven, thirty points, five rebounds, seven assists. The 0:15:40.200 --> 0:15:42.800 Bulls went eleven to one in route to the finals. 0:15:43.000 --> 0:15:46.520 In his first Finals game ever against Magic and the Lakers, 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:50.160 he has thirty six points, eight rebounds, twelve assists, but 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:53.600 they lose. The Bulls would then win the next four 0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:55.760 to win the title. That's an instinct Finals to go 0:15:55.800 --> 0:16:00.320 back and rewatch because the Lakers essentially dared Michael to 0:16:00.400 --> 0:16:03.720 be a passer and he did, and so he averaged 0:16:03.800 --> 0:16:07.520 thirty one points, seven rebounds, eleven assists, and he did 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:11.280 on fifty six percent shooting, so he wasn't forcing shots. 0:16:11.360 --> 0:16:13.200 Who's saying the shots when they were there fifty six 0:16:13.200 --> 0:16:15.640 percent shooting, his best shooting performance in any finals ever, 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:19.200 in his best assist performance of any finals ever. He's 0:16:19.200 --> 0:16:23.040 a finals MVP. Obviously, he's a champion nineteen ninety two. 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:27.440 As an defending champ, he unleashes. He doesn't have his 0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:30.960 best finals ever, but you I would argue his best 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:36.920 playoff run ever. Miami Round one sweep forty six eleven 0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:41.080 and nine, then thirty three thirteen and six, and. 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:43.760 Then fifty six, five and five. 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:47.560 So to sweep Miami scores forty six, goes forty six 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:51.600 eleven and nine, thirty three thirteen and six, and then 0:16:51.720 --> 0:16:55.480 fifty six, five and five. Round two against the Knicks, 0:16:55.880 --> 0:16:59.680 series is tied to two scores thirty seven to take 0:16:59.720 --> 0:17:02.520 the series lead, and then in Game seven drops forty 0:17:02.560 --> 0:17:05.560 two on him and blows them out. Averages in the 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:10.000 Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavs thirty two, six and six, 0:17:10.480 --> 0:17:15.560 and then absolutely annihilates Clyde Drexler, the second best shooting 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:18.600 guard in the NBA in the NBA Finals and by 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:20.840 the way that Blazers seem had been to the finals 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:25.840 a couple years prior against Detroit, annihilates Drexler. In Game one, 0:17:26.000 --> 0:17:28.840 he is thirty nine and eleven. That's the shrug game 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:32.600 with six first half threes. They blow him out. In 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:35.040 Game two, they lose, but he has thirty nine to ten. 0:17:35.640 --> 0:17:38.359 In Game five, the series is tied. Now going for 0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:42.040 back to back titles. Series tied two games apiece. Michael 0:17:42.119 --> 0:17:45.480 Jordan scored forty six points and five rebounds, four assists, 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:49.560 and then to win the title, they are down fifteen 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:51.560 headed into the fourth quarter. 0:17:51.760 --> 0:17:53.480 This game never gets discussed. 0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:57.359 Game six, the ninety two Finals, down fifteen headed in 0:17:57.400 --> 0:18:01.760 the fourth, leads a massive comeback, finishes with thirty three points. 0:18:02.040 --> 0:18:05.880 Averages for the series thirty six points, five rebounds, six 0:18:05.920 --> 0:18:09.720 assists on fifty three percent shooting, while Drexler averages just 0:18:09.760 --> 0:18:12.320 twenty five points on forty percent shooting. Now it is 0:18:12.359 --> 0:18:18.080 two titles, two finals MVPs nineteen ninety three. Jordan, and 0:18:18.119 --> 0:18:21.840 this is the other Jordan, before his father was tragically murdered, 0:18:22.119 --> 0:18:25.000 was already listening to a mad Rashad talking about retirement. 0:18:25.040 --> 0:18:29.680 He's running on fumes. Don Matter sweeps. 0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:32.440 Atlanta and Cleveland in rounds one and two, and by 0:18:32.440 --> 0:18:35.760 the way, it has another series winner against the Caves. 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:38.199 It's not as iconic because they weren't trailing, because they 0:18:38.240 --> 0:18:40.080 were up three to zero in the series. But another 0:18:40.119 --> 0:18:43.719 series winning jump shut against the Caves and averages thirty two, 0:18:43.840 --> 0:18:47.960 six and five across those first two sweeps. But then 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:51.560 this is an interesting moment, entering fork in the road 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:54.680 moment for Jordan. This was probably the closest he came 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:59.080 to a true disastrous playoff moment, but Pippin bailed him out. 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:01.880 They're down h two to the Knicks, and that's when 0:19:01.920 --> 0:19:06.440 they're discussing, oh, he's was out all night gambling. Everyone 0:19:06.480 --> 0:19:11.080 remembers Game four. Game three, he was three for eight 0:19:11.240 --> 0:19:14.639 down oh two to the Knicks. Jordan goes three for eighteen, 0:19:15.560 --> 0:19:18.440 but Pippin's excellent and they win. And then in game 0:19:18.560 --> 0:19:22.200 four that twenty drop fifty four on the Knicks to 0:19:22.880 --> 0:19:26.240 take recontrol of the series. Then Game five's the Charles 0:19:26.240 --> 0:19:29.159 Smith game, when Charles Smith gets blocked four times at 0:19:29.160 --> 0:19:32.520 the rim. Jordan had twenty nine points, ten rebounds, fourteen assists. 0:19:32.760 --> 0:19:34.960 The Bulls win four straight and they're back. 0:19:34.760 --> 0:19:37.800 In the finals. And then in those finals. 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:42.120 He had arguably the greatest finals anyone has ever had. 0:19:42.680 --> 0:19:45.000 There's the short list of the greatest finals anyone has 0:19:45.040 --> 0:19:50.960 ever had. Giannison twenty twenty, Lebron in twenty sixteen. We 0:19:51.080 --> 0:19:54.280 can you know, you can pick your favorite magic finals, 0:19:55.080 --> 0:19:59.280 but Jordan and d Wade and O six the greatest 0:19:59.320 --> 0:20:02.400 finals anyone ever had as far as start to finish. 0:20:03.440 --> 0:20:07.160 Giannison twenty twenty is close, but Jordan in ninety three 0:20:07.200 --> 0:20:11.600 is pretty spectacular. By the way, Just just remember Jordan 0:20:12.080 --> 0:20:16.880 had just taken a couple of years prior played Philly 0:20:18.040 --> 0:20:25.840 in ninety one, and Jordan annihilation Yeah, ninety and ninety one, 0:20:26.359 --> 0:20:30.560 Jordan annihilates Philadelphia with Berkeley there, Barkley is now in 0:20:30.600 --> 0:20:31.119 the Suns. 0:20:31.200 --> 0:20:34.480 Barkley is the league MVP. And this is what Michael 0:20:34.560 --> 0:20:35.200 Jordan does. 0:20:35.880 --> 0:20:40.120 Game one thirty one points, seven rebounds, five assists, five 0:20:40.160 --> 0:20:45.720 steals in a win. Game two forty two points, twelve rebounds, 0:20:45.800 --> 0:20:50.760 nine assists in a three point close win. Game three, 0:20:50.920 --> 0:20:54.920 forty four points, nine rebounds, six assists in a triple 0:20:55.000 --> 0:21:01.640 overtime loss. Game four fifty five points, eight rebounds, four 0:21:01.680 --> 0:21:03.920 assists to go up three to one in the series. 0:21:04.600 --> 0:21:09.320 Game five, championship on the line, forty one points, seven rebounds, 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:14.680 seven assists, but they lose Game six. Thirty three points, 0:21:14.760 --> 0:21:18.600 eight rebounds, six assists in the game where Packson hits 0:21:18.640 --> 0:21:21.200 the shot to win the title and have the first 0:21:21.320 --> 0:21:25.200 three repeat in the NBA since Russell's Celtics. For that 0:21:25.480 --> 0:21:30.119 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan averaged forty one points, nine rebounds, 0:21:30.160 --> 0:21:33.680 and six assists on fifty one percent shooting. It might 0:21:33.720 --> 0:21:37.719 be the greatest Finals performance anyone's ever had. He then retired, 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:41.440 and this is now, this is the small part of 0:21:41.480 --> 0:21:44.479 the Jordan story that doesn't get told, but we will 0:21:44.560 --> 0:21:47.760 tell it because again, not telling it denies him some 0:21:47.880 --> 0:21:51.240 of his greatness. He retires, comes back for the tail 0:21:51.359 --> 0:21:54.040 end of missus the ninety four season, comes back for 0:21:54.119 --> 0:21:56.520 the tail end of the ninety five season, and in 0:21:56.520 --> 0:22:01.400 those ninety five playoffs he was at the absolutely awesome 0:22:02.280 --> 0:22:04.959 until the very last game where he wasn't What do 0:22:05.000 --> 0:22:08.240 I mean by that. Everyone remembers the ninety six team, 0:22:08.320 --> 0:22:10.479 which we'll get to. They won seventy two games, they 0:22:10.520 --> 0:22:13.080 won the title in ninety five. 0:22:13.200 --> 0:22:14.520 Jordan averaged more. 0:22:14.400 --> 0:22:18.000 Points, rebounds, assists, and shot a better percentage from the 0:22:18.040 --> 0:22:21.080 field in the playoffs in ninety five than in ninety six. 0:22:21.520 --> 0:22:25.560 His first playoff game again year and a half out 0:22:25.600 --> 0:22:29.280 of the sport first playoff game, he had forty eight points, 0:22:29.400 --> 0:22:33.520 nine rebounds, eight assists. He had against Orlando in round two, 0:22:33.640 --> 0:22:36.359 the team that beat him, he had thirty eight. In 0:22:36.440 --> 0:22:39.760 game two, he had forty. In game three, he had 0:22:39.800 --> 0:22:45.200 thirty nine in game five. But game six he was 0:22:45.240 --> 0:22:47.520 eight of nineteen. He only had twenty four points. He 0:22:47.560 --> 0:22:50.080 had six turnovers. Nick Anderson sold the ball from him 0:22:50.080 --> 0:22:54.920 and they lost. So here's the thing with Jordan, because 0:22:54.960 --> 0:22:56.480 people don't want to acknowledge that. 0:22:56.480 --> 0:22:58.120 He ever lost. 0:22:59.040 --> 0:23:02.440 They try to tell you story, Oh he was rusty, 0:23:02.600 --> 0:23:04.560 what he was awesome? 0:23:05.440 --> 0:23:07.160 He averaged thirty one that series. 0:23:07.480 --> 0:23:09.800 He scored forty eight his first game of the playoffs 0:23:09.960 --> 0:23:13.639 and against Shaq and Orlando and Penny, he had a 0:23:13.720 --> 0:23:15.760 thirty eight point game, a forty point game, a thirty 0:23:15.840 --> 0:23:18.520 nine point game. But game six a little loose with 0:23:18.560 --> 0:23:21.959 the ball and lost, and Orlando obviously goes on. They 0:23:22.000 --> 0:23:23.800 beat the Pacers in the conference finals. They go on 0:23:23.840 --> 0:23:25.760 to lose to a Keem in the finals. So the 0:23:25.800 --> 0:23:28.720 next year, Jordan is back with a vengeance. They win 0:23:28.840 --> 0:23:31.920