Remember. Jordan not only 3 repeated twice, he played Baseball in between

[Walk on Water]

How many players do you know who could win 3 in a row twice, and be able to gain their touch back from playing baseball during 2 years of their prime? Just imagine Lebron not even playing the last 2 years and just playing football. Do you think he could come back and win 72 games and 3 peat?

Think about it. This actually happened. Jordan retired on top because he was so good and then he started to excel at baseball. He struggled at first but then started to pick it up and left on a homerun! If there was no strike, Jordan would have kept going and made it to the majors.

He had no interest in basketball because he got to the point where he was bigger than the whole league. It wasn't a challenge at the time. He was playing in the most competitive league ever yet had gotten so big that he was bigger than life and nobody could match him.

Once he got tired of the whole baseball strike, he just laced up his shoes and came back. A bit rusty yes because playing baseball is different than basketball. He got out of shape. And so it was a challenge for him, but he rose to the occasion and won 3 more times. Could have won more if it wasn't for Nolan, who got jealous.

Come on. To be able to come back from baseball and win.. and to know he could have played longer if it wasn't for the jealousy. You gotta give the man props.

[bison]

I think baseball rather humbled him. Imagine being a god at your sport and the high expectations that come with it, and then trying another sport and realizing you are a scrub where even your no-name teammates feel that have an edge on you. Dude went back to basketball probably with a renewed appreciation for what he had in the nba.

[3ball]

Baseball completely transformed Jordan's body

So he had to adjust his game when he came back

No problem for the goat

[ShawkFactory]

Shit, I didn't remember any of that. Thanks bro

[Axe]

Too much gambling is bad sometimes

[Airupthere]

Sugar ray leonard spoke of how difficult it is to get away from your sport and to try and come back later. Mentally it will not be the same. The instincts that differentiate you as a top player, you lose them. You can definitely see that the year MJ returned. Just was not the same. He was missing opportunities he was known to capitalize on previously. So for him to grab a second set of 3peat was not an easy feat.

[mehyaM24]

Sugar ray leonard spoke of how difficult it is to get away from your sport and to try and come back later. Mentally it will not be the same. The instincts that differentiate you as a top player, you lose them. You can definitely see that the year MJ returned. Just was not the same. He was missing opportunities he was known to capitalize on previously. So for him to grab a second set of 3peat was not an easy feat.

that's true. but basketball is all cardio & tougher on your legs long haul. so even though the rest benefited jordan, he still couldn't produce long-term like jabbar & lebron.

[SATAN]

It was a deliberate move to avoid Olajuwon and the Rockets.

[WhiteKyrie]

1994 they definitely would’ve won the chip. That would’ve been a younger, more motivated team than the 1996 version. Scottie, BJ, and Grant all at their peak. Some playing for new money contracts. And Jordan still in his prime.

Easily could add another All NBA first team, Scoring Chip, 1st team defense, All Star, Finals MVP and maybe another MVP to his already insane resume.

1995? Much more difficult without Grant but with Mike still in the last year of his physical prime and without baseball rust... add another slew of individual accolades, accumulated counting stats. If they don’t win, the team still gets re-invigorated the same way they did to curb stomp the league as they did from 96 - 98.

LeBron Stans, Gen Z kids, or Jordan Haters should all be thanking their lucky stars he retired to play baseball the last two years of his prime. The bar is already too high. Would’ve been even higher.

And hell, while you’re at it. If 1999 team isn’t broken up the Bulls could’ve easily won that season as well.

And if he hangs on just to put up numbers and not compete for rings, even with progressive regression in the ensuing twilight seasons, the accumulative stats if he stayed from 1999 - 2001, with his ultimate retirement in 2003 just would’ve had his all time numbers unattainable for anyone else. Particularly scoring.

[mehyaM24]

if jordan never retired in 93, he probably would have done so in 96 or 97. and fell off earlier too since he was running on fumes in 98 (verbatim from longtime jordan loyalist bob costas). he would still be all-star level had he opted to stay, but best player? not a chance. shaq & duncan were already on the rise.

[Jasper]

How many players do you know who could win 3 in a row twice, and be able to gain their touch back from playing baseball during 2 years of their prime? Just imagine Lebron not even playing the last 2 years and just playing football. Do you think he could come back and win 72 games and 3 peat?

Think about it. This actually happened. Jordan retired on top because he was so good and then he started to excel at baseball. He struggled at first but then started to pick it up and left on a homerun! If there was no strike, Jordan would have kept going and made it to the majors.

He had no interest in basketball because he got to the point where he was bigger than the whole league. It wasn't a challenge at the time. He was playing in the most competitive league ever yet had gotten so big that he was bigger than life and nobody could match him.

Once he got tired of the whole baseball strike, he just laced up his shoes and came back. A bit rusty yes because playing baseball is different than basketball. He got out of shape. And so it was a challenge for him, but he rose to the occasion and won 3 more times. Could have won more if it wasn't for Nolan, who got jealous.

Come on. To be able to come back from baseball and win.. and to know he could have played longer if it wasn't for the jealousy. You gotta give the man props.

I have stated over the years that if he did not retire and go into baseball , the Bulls would of been 9 time champions(.)

[light]

Fortunately for him he played in the weak 90s.

He could not have done that in the 70s, 80s or later.

[WhiteKyrie]

Fortunately for him he played in the weak 90s.

He could not have done that in the 70s, 80s or later.
Nah, it’s all relative. He just would’ve played with two other perennial all stars / HOFers the way Magic, Bird, Dr. J, LeBron and KD did.

[baudkarma]

How many players do you know who could win 3 in a row twice, and be able to gain their touch back from playing baseball during 2 years of their prime? Just imagine Lebron not even playing the last 2 years and just playing football. Do you think he could come back and win 72 games and 3 peat?

Think about it. This actually happened. Jordan retired on top because he was so good and then he started to excel at baseball. He struggled at first but then started to pick it up and left on a homerun! If there was no strike, Jordan would have kept going and made it to the majors.

He had no interest in basketball because he got to the point where he was bigger than the whole league. It wasn't a challenge at the time. He was playing in the most competitive league ever yet had gotten so big that he was bigger than life and nobody could match him.

Once he got tired of the whole baseball strike, he just laced up his shoes and came back. A bit rusty yes because playing baseball is different than basketball. He got out of shape. And so it was a challenge for him, but he rose to the occasion and won 3 more times. Could have won more if it wasn't for Nolan, who got jealous.

Come on. To be able to come back from baseball and win.. and to know he could have played longer if it wasn't for the jealousy. You gotta give the man props.

Jordan never excelled at baseball. Never even came close. He was a career .200 hitter in AA ball. The White Sox couldn't even justify bringing him up to AAA, however much they wanted to.

I will agree that it's remarkable that he was able to return to the NBA and immediately dominate as if he had never left. I've said here before that it was the 55 points he put up against the Knicks less than two weeks after returning to basketball that convinced me that he was the GOAT.

[HoopsNY]

It was a deliberate move to avoid Olajuwon and the Rockets.

Yea because the 1994 Bulls with 4 All-Stars wouldn't be able to handle the Rockets with 1 All-Star. The Knicks took the Rockets to 7 games and Chicago took the Knicks to 7 without peak MJ. Chicago would have easily beaten Houston that year.

[HoopsNY]

I have stated over the years that if he did not retire and go into baseball , the Bulls would of been 9 time champions(.)

It's possible that the Rockets would have beaten them in 1995 given Chicago lost Horace Grant and Houston added Clyde. 1999 I think Chicago beats San Antonio, but just barely.

[8Ball]

Jordan lost in 1995 after 1.5 year of Load Management.

How is it possible to be 9x champion if he was mentally exhausted, quit for Load Management and lost in 1995?

Makes no sense.

[LeFlopper]

MJ and Kobe the goats!

[Axe]

Yea because the 1994 Bulls with 4 All-Stars wouldn't be able to handle the Rockets with 1 All-Star. The Knicks took the Rockets to 7 games and Chicago took the Knicks to 7 without peak MJ. Chicago would have easily beaten Houston that year.
You're responding to the very same troll who claimed in another thread that john paxson and steve kerr were responsible for saving baldan's legacy. :lol:facepalm

[light]

Correction: The Jordan-Pippen duo repeated twice.

And when Jordan was off sucking at baseball Scottie Pippen rose to become the best perimeter player in the NBA and perhaps the best overall player in the NBA.