Our Bulls writer selects his top 5 Jordan highlights
Editor's note: It's not easy trying to limit Michael Jordan's career highlights to a Top Five list, but Bulls writer Mike McGraw gives it a shot - arguably speaking, of course.
1. Scoring a playoff-record 63 points at Boston on April 20, 1986.
In my mind, this has to be No. 1, because it was so shocking and unexpected. Remember, Jordan was in his second pro season and missed 64 games with a broken foot. To set this kind of record against one of the NBA's all-time great teams was - and still is - amazing. He buried jumpers and knocked down free throws with no time on the clock to force overtime. This was a clear indication that Jordan was more than just the next promising star who could toss down a nice dunk.
2. Game-winning jumper in deciding playoff game at Cleveland on May 7, 1989.
It's exhilarating to watch any athlete with the ability to come through in the clutch, and Jordan set the bar high with this buzzer-beating, series-clinching jumper. This game is replayed frequently on NBA TV. Watch for the replay of coach Doug Collins' reaction to Jordan's shot, then look behind Collins at longtime Sun-Times writer Lacy Banks celebrating in the background. It's a classic scene.
3. Leading Bulls to NBA record 72 wins in 1995-96.
I'll be honest, I wasn't a huge Jordan fan during the first three championships because I didn't think he was much of a team player. If I had to vote for the NBA's greatest player back then, Oscar Robertson would have gotten the nod.
But all that changed during the second championship run.
Even though he didn't have the spectacular athleticism anymore, I thought Jordan was a better player from 1995-98 because he was a better teammate. The 72-win season epitomized what Jordan was all about and those years solidified his spot as the sport's greatest of all time.
4. "The Last Shot" at Utah in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals.
This whole sequence almost seemed too perfect.
Why didn't Karl Malone anticipate Jordan coming from behind to try for the steal? After Jordan shook loose from Bryon Russell to hit the 18-foot jumper, John Stockton launched a 3-pointer that fell about an inch short of winning the game for Utah.
More than anything, I remember watching the Bulls celebrate on the court while a stream of Jazz fans - many with tears in their eyes - filed slowly up the stairs and out the door of the Delta Center.
5. The "Shoulder Shrug" game against Portland in Game 1 of the 1992 Finals.
It wasn't until I looked up details of this game that it made the cut. Jordan scored 35 points in the first half and hit 6-of-10 shots from 3-point range. In his second trip to the Finals, Jordan left no doubt what he could do for an encore.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>The ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. Central time Friday at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield Massachusetts. ESPN will carry the ceremony live.</b></p> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=320322"><B>Barry Rozner:</B> Is Hall all there is for Mike?<span class="date">[09/10/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=320333">Michael Jordan's top 23 career highlights <span class="date">[09/10/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=320337">Our Bulls writer selects his Top 5 Jordan highlights <span class="date">[09/10/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=317937">CSN to show 23 hours of Jordan before induction <span class="date">[08/31/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=311122">Hall of Fame opens Michael Jordan exhibit <span class="date">[08/02/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=284331">Now here's a shocker ... Jordan named to Basketball Hall of Fame <span class="date">[04/07/09]</span></a></li> </ul> <h2>Photo Gallery</h2> <ul class="gallery"> <li><a href="/story/?id=318785">Images of Michael Jordan through the years </a></li> </ul> <h2>Video</h2> <li><object width="300" height="182"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hyo7aOFMirI&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hyo7aOFMirI&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="300" height="182"></embed></object> </ul> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.hoophall.com/">Basketball Hall of Fame </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>