3. “The Shrug”
It was Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals, and the Bulls were beginning their quest to repeat as back-to-back champions. The opponents, the Portland Trail Blazers, were led by a dynamic scorer of their own in Clyde Drexler. But in Game 1, Jordan was clearly the top dog.
MJ came out firing and erupted for 36 points in the first half (18 of those points coming by way of the three-ball). For a lifetime non-threat beyond the 3-point line, Jordan canning six in the opening 24 minutes was… odd. Even Jordan couldn’t believe it.
After his sixth 3-point make, Jordan jogged down the court and gave the famous shrug, as if to say, “Even I don’t understand what’s happening right now.”
Jordan’s original version of “The Shrug” has led to a number of remakes by NBA players over the years, including some guys you would never imagine doing “The Shrug” like Yogi Ferrell and Jeremy Lin. Even Derrick Rose pulled out “The Shrug” one time after a wild, acrobatic jumper.
“The Shrug” truly encapsulates Jordan’s greatness. How can someone be so great that even they themselves don’t understand?
2. The 63-point playoff explosion
When the Bulls and Celtics met in the 1986 NBA Playoffs, there wasn’t much question as to who would win the series. The Celtics won 67 games that season and had Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, Bill Walton, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish. The Bulls, on the other hand, won 30 games and had a young MJ who hadn’t reached his apex yet.
The Bulls didn’t accomplish much as a team in this series (they got swept), but Jordan gave the league a preview at what – and who – was coming.
In Game 1, Jordan put up 49 points and had a usage percentage of 47 (47!). Somehow, he would top that performance three nights later.
In Game 2, Jordan hung an absurd (and efficient) 63 points on the Celtics in what would end up being a crushing double-overtime loss for Chicago. That was (and still is) a playoff single-game scoring record.
That performance from MJ led to a famous quote from Larry Bird:
"“He is the most exciting, awesome player in the game today. I think it’s just God disguised as Michael Jordan.”"
That was high praise from arguably the best NBA player at the time.