Michael Jordan last three minutes in his final Bulls game (1998 Finals Game 6)
Bomani jones had a take on Jordan that I think was perfect. He was always present in the moment. He had masterful control of the pace and the game. He never shrunk from the moment and he rarely made mental mistakes in the clutch which is really the definition of clutch. Not rising to the moment but not being crushed by the pressure of the moment. That’s why he’s the GOAT and that’s why he gets the reverence he gets.
Yes, he also did what everyone ever has dreamed about. Game winning shot, for the chip, and retire after a dominant stretch.
I can’t think of a better way to go out. Then he had to come back and fuck it up lol. (Although he wasn’t terrible with the Wiz
It was a weird time. IIRC he got like 3/$21m and donated it all to 9⁄11 relief efforts.
The top headline the morning of 9⁄11 was literally Jordan coming back to the NBA, it was a really weird time.
It’s like the perfect ability to just lock in when he needed to.
Like when that moment called for it, Michael Jordan was there
As a Knicks fan during that era, every word here is true. You knew if the game was close. Like 10-12 points up on the Bulls with a few minutes to go, he was taking and making every shot and defending your best player and stopping them every time. Willing your team to win is defined by Michael Jordan. F that guy. lol
he was the “ultimate dog”, he would have made a great Marine.
He would probably commit several war crimes
MJ scored 8 points and 2 steals those 3 minutes, and scored more than half his team’s points.
Bulls running on fumes that year. Scottie’s back was no good and he was playing in pain.
Jazz took out olajuwon rockets, young Tim/robinson spurs, and young kobe/Shaq lakers.
And Jazz were HUNGRY for revenge and that ring.
Bulls did NOT want to go to Jazz for game seven.
Those last 3 minutes encompassed his entire mystique. Relentless, indomitable, and INEVITABLE.
GOAT.
37 playoff series. Only 3 game 7’s. Pretty amazing.
Pacers 1998, Knicks 1992, what else?
6ers in 1990, had to google it.
Actually, it looks like it was the Pistons
https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1990-nba-eastern-conference-finals-bulls-vs-pistons.html
yea fuck me for trusting ai/google’s answer. 6ers didn’t make sense to me. If you’d had asked me before looking it up I would have said it was the Pistons.
https://www.reddit.com/r/NBATalk/comments/1kkwg5g/in_the_only_game_7_mj_lost_game_7_of_the_1990_ecf/
Everyone let Jordan down!
Damn.
Of course AI has a Sixers bias.
Arguably the most iconic performance ever. Best way to end his Bulls’ career
Jordan had 23 first half points and 45 at the end. The only thing he didn’t do was inbound the ball to himself🐐
It almost needs more context. The winning score was 87, so he brought home more than half.
Isiah Thomas sounded like a hater every time he had to mention Jordan’s name lmaooo especially on that last shot
He was, but Isiah actually broke down game moments really well. He had competed against MJ so many times that he had really good analysis of when the Bulls were going on runs, what was going on with Pippen and MJ. Zeke gets a lot of hate but he was great at brining color to these games.
His black magic fuckery was expected, but you were still left amazed that he was actually pulling it off. Like, what the fuck are you, man? Singlehandedly closed the season, mind boggling player.
Can already imagine what post game threads would have looked like back in the day, “he pushed off.” “Free throw merchant he went 8⁄8 in the 4th.” “NBA rigged to push the Jordan agenda.” “Rodman should’ve fouled out by the second quarter if the refs were actually reffing.” “Vegas definitely pulling the strings here.”
People post the “he pushed off” to this day. Just a 45 pt game with the game winner.
“They wouldn’t get steals if the refs didn’t let them be so physical”
Thankfully we’ve got social media now so the league and refs are held more accountable. /s
I mean I’m a chicago native and huge Bulls fan, grew up with signed MJ merch in my bedroom and his cologne, and he absolutely pushed off lmao
To me, this is the most iconic sports moment. Just everything to a perfect ending
Legendary for sure. And if it happened live when Reddit existed, everyone in the highlight threads would be bitching about the push off.
Has anyone ever tried pushing off while momentum is going the other way? Unless he’s superman, it’s negligible.
Until he ruined it by coming back one more time
This, Ray Allen shot, Lebron chasedown block
Wow, Rodman certainly should not have been called for a foul.
shoulda been a one team man and left us alone. Smh
[deleted]
Nobody has worn it since - can’t say for sure that they’ve had any players who wore it outside of their Wizards career that changed it in DC though.
Look how chill Dennis Rodman is when Jordan gets the steal on Malone. He knew it was over lmao
Kawhi vs the Sixers in 2019 is the closest thing I’ve seen to MJ-esque playoff dominance, but then you remember Mike did that in basically every series except when he came back rusty in 95
Wasn’t even rusty tbh he was still dominant. Didn’t have Rodman yet to fill the Horace Grant void.
I hate people like u, dont know shit but try to sell that they know. Go watch his 1995 playoffs from staft to finish, he was rusty, his body wasnt made for basketball at the time, he had a baseball body, thats why he fatigued during some of those games in the 4th.
man I love Costas on pbp
not an offensive foul on rodman btw
Jordan was the encapsulation of “cometh the hour, cometh the man”.
They mentioned Jordan’s 6 fts in the 4th, so I was wondering how generous the calls were.
Then I saw this one
Announcer: “Stockton comes over a little too late”
Video: Stockton attempts to shoudler tackle MJs chest
This reminds me of Shai in game 4 down 2-1 where he scored 9 consecutive points within 2 minutes and blocked Haliburton’s 3 point attempt. His last field goal was a smooth push off as well. People used Scott Foster as an excuse, but what Shai did in those 2 minutes were truly a masterclass. The foul bait he does doesn’t look natural, but game is game I suppose.
shai’s game is similar to jordans
the jerky energy on offense constant speed changes hard stops
he also gets low like shai does jordan have even shorter legs though ?
just visually game looks very similar
jordan is even more hyper his footwork is so good he is always moving his feet
SGAs game is similar to older Jordan. Younger Jordan was just physically faster and more athletic than everyone else. SGAs highlight reel is boring AF with spamming free throw line fadeaways. Very very effective but not awe inspiring like Jordan’s prime years.
yeah if anything Shai is more like McGrady with a better whistle.
nah, Shai is like the ‘08-‘10 version of Kobe with better shot selection.
unwatchable