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When did Michael Jordan get drafted by the Chicago Bulls? A look back at the rookie year of the 6x time champion

Posted on June 20, 2024 - 1:02 am by

The Chicago Bulls were left with no choice when Michael Jordan fell to their lap during the 1984 NBA Draft. “His Airness” was picked third by the Bulls after the Houston Rockets got Akeem Olajuwon and the Portland Trail Blazers nabbed Sam Bowie.

The Blazers’ decision to get Bowie would haunt them for the rest of their history. They had the chance to draft a player long considered the greatest to ever play in the game and whiffed on it. Portland’s loss was Chicago’s gain in more ways than basketball fans could have imagined.

Portland passed up on MJ because they desperately needed a big man. Bowie, at the time, was one of college basketball’s best centers. The knock on him was that he had several serious foot and knee injuries.

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Bowie would later admit that he lied to the Blazers about his knee. Had Portland’s medical staff known about the pain in his knee, they might have taken Michael Jordan instead.

The Blazers also already had another high-flier with almost the same style as “His Airness.” Clyde Drexler was undoubtedly a budding star who Portland was banking on to be the next big thing.

The Chicago Bulls were also pining for Akeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie. Like the Blazers and the Rockets, they wanted someone who could dominate in the paint. The Bulls even wanted to trade the third pick for either Jack Sikma or Tree Rollins.



On draft day, Chicago tried once more to move their coveted pick via a three-team deal that would have landed them Terry Cummings. When they were finally left with no choice, they put on a brave face and drafted Michael Jordan.

Chicago’s last choice ultimately ended up becoming the greatest move in franchise history. Without the former North Carolina star, they would not have had those six banners hanging from the rafters of the United Center.



Michael Jordan averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.4 steals in his rookie season in 82 games. He made it to the All-Star team and added excitement to the league that no one had ever seen before.

Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler could have been teammates

Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon could have been teammates on draft day in 1984.

There were many interesting and intriguing storylines heading into the 1984 NBA Draft. In Hakeem Olajuwon’s book, “Living the Dream: My Life and Basketball,” he related a mind-boggling story.

The Portland Trail Blazers so desperately needed a center that they offered the No. 2 pick and Clyde Drexler for All-Star big man Ralph Sampson. Houston refused as they wanted to pair Sampson and Olajuwon to form the Rockets’ vaunted “Twin Tower.”



Had the Rockets accepted the offer, they might have drafted Michael Jordan and not Sam Bowie to complement Olajuwon. Imagine the trio of “The Dream,” Jordan and Drexler on the same team. NBA history would have been so much different.

The trio could easily be in the running as the greatest triumvirate in league annals. What was even more mind-boggling was the chance that they could have overwhelmed the opposition for over a decade. Drexler had just finished his rookie year in 1984 while Jordan and Olajuwon were still debutants in the NBA.

Magic Johnson and the LA Lakers might not have emerged out of the Western Conference in 1987 and 1988 when they won the championships. The Detroit Pistons’ two-year reign might not have happened. The Chicago Bulls dynasty in the ‘90s might have been nothing but fancy.