Michael Jordan Was Already The GOAT To Larry Bird When He Retired ‘Is that possible?
Michael Jordan was a three-time champion, three-time MVP of the Finals, and three-time MVP of the regular season when he left the NBA in 1993. The nine-year NBA MVP for the Chicago Bulls completed all those accomplishments and led the league in scoring.
After LeBron James won his fourth championship and fourth MVP of the Finals in 2020, the GOAT argument between him and Michael Jordan has intensified even further. In 1993, Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics believed that Michael Jordan was the greatest player of all time, therefore it’s safe to assume that Bird and Jordan are still close.
When Bird learned that Jordan was quitting the NBA in 1993, he was upset. Bird had retired after the NBA season of 1991–1992. Jordan was the greatest player Bird had ever seen, according to Bird.
According to Chicago sports historian Jack M. Silverstein, Bird stated in 1993, “I am very sad to hear the news.” “He was always superior to everyone else.”
Throughout his career, Bird’s record versus Jordan was 17-11. In two postseason sweeps over Jordan, Bird averaged 26.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists against him.
But Bird was astounded by what Jordan accomplished in his first nine years. It’s possible that no player will ever achieve what Jordan did in nine seasons.
Jordan left the NBA in 1993 after nine years, taking home three championships, nine All-Star selections, seven first-team All-NBA selections, six first-team All-Defensive selections, one Defensive Player of the Year Award, three MVPs of the Finals, three MVPs of the regular season, one All-Star Game MVP, two Slam Dunk titles, three steals titles, and two gold medals.
Jordan averaged 32.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.7 steals, and 51.6% shooting from the field in 667 regular-season games between 1984–1985 and 1992–1993. The three-ring winner, two-time Finals MVP, and three-time MVP of the regular season, Bird thought Jordan was unrivaled at his best and that the Bulls guard was a unique talent.
What set Jordan apart throughout the regular season wasn’t limited to his performance. His performance in the NBA Finals and Playoffs elevated his profile to a new height.
In addition to holding the records for points per game and player efficiency rating during the regular season, Jordan is also the all-time leader in both categories during the postseason. Over the course of the regular season, Jordan averaged 30.1 points and 33.4 in the postseason. In the meantime, his postseason PER was 28.6, while his regular season PER was 27.9.
Jordan averaged 33.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in 35 NBA Finals contests. In terms of Finals points per game, he is second only to the legendary Jerry West (36.3). The Bulls had six titles, two three-peats, and no NBA Finals losses throughout the 1990s.
Jordan and Bird are both inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame at the Naismith Memorial. As members of the Dream Team that shared the 1992 gold medal, they will probably always be remembered as two of the most recognizable basketball players to have ever played in the NBA.
