The Chicago Bulls were piecing together in the 1980s, the most important one of which was Michael Jordan. MJ took the league by storm in 1984, but it was obvious that the North Carolina product couldn’t win the games by himself because he lacked help.
Individually, Jordan was unquestionably one of the best guards at the time. His heroics in 1986 helped the Bulls make the playoffs even though their regular season was far from impressive.
Despite a below .500 win-loss record (30-52), Chicago managed to go to the Playoffs as the eight seed. Unfortunately, their woeful record meant they had to face the number-one team in the Eastern Conference.
Going down fighting
They faced a powerhouse team in the Boston Celtics, a team that would eventually win the title that season.
If their regular season record was an indication, the Cs were undoubtedly the heavy favorites. Regardless, Chicago vowed to give Boston a good series, aware they had nothing to lose if they played their hearts out.
“‘It’s really David against Goliath, and we’re David,” Jordan said via UPI. “But David did win.”
After missing games in the regular season due to a broken foot, Jordan returned in time for the playoffs. The 3rd overall pick of the 1984 Draft put on a show, including a single game-high of 63 points in Game 2 of that series. Michael averaged 43.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in that first-round duel.
Jordan willed himself to try and lead the Bulls over the Celtics. His efforts weren’t enough as Boston swept Chicago. Considering the Cs had the best team that year, the result was hardly surprising.
The games, or even the outcome, could have been different had the Bulls surrounded Jordan with better players. Orlando Woolridge helped out in scoring, but it was clear the team needed more offensive artillery.
Despite being aware they had the advantage, the Celtics did not take the Bulls lightly. They were aware of what Jordan was capable of, admitting the 6-foot-6 guard could be a problem if they didn’t play their cards right.
“He has all the tools, and he’s smart enough to use the right ones at the right times,” Dennis Johnson, who was tasked to contain Jordan, stated.
God in disguise
Despite booting out the Bulls in the first round, Jordan gained the respect of Celtics players. Most of it game after his 63-point explosion in Game 2, a performance that left Bird in awe.
“The Hick from French Lick” reacted to Jordan’s scoring splurge, calling the Bulls star ‘God disguised as Michael Jordan.” In reaction to that, Michael admitted that getting such a compliment from Larry Legend was gratifying.
Without question, Jordan could score at will had he wanted to against any NBA team. But in his words, he would rather give all those points back if it meant collecting wins for the Bulls.
MJ and the Bulls eventually figured things out and went on a legendary run during the ’90s that yielded two three-peats.