Scottie Pippen. AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines-A couple of decades the Internet was for the rich, fax machines were the kings, NBA Rookies were toddlers, Hakeem Olajuwon was fresh of his first straight NBA, and the greatest line in sports history was printed.
“I’m back.” As simple as that.
Michael Jordan said it. Everyone printed it.
Fast forward to 2015, Jordan’s greatest teammate recounts how the second coming of the Greatest Of All Time sent the world into a Bulls frenzy for the second time around.
“I see it’s been 20 years since two of the most famous words in sports history: ‘I’m back,'” Pippen posted on Twitter.
Jordan retired from basketball just after the 1992-1993 season to pursue a career in baseball, a dream his father, James, wanted for him.
He cited a loss of desire to play professional basketball, and the murder of his father, led him to retire right after winning his third straight NBA title in his nine seasons in the league.
And every title he had, Pippen was there. Chicago’s Robin to their Batman.
“To be honest, after MJ retired the first time in 1993 I thought he was done. I think a comeback was the farthest thing on his mind,” Pippen said.
Chicago were the undisputed kings of the NBA, three straight titles, destroying the Los Angeles Lakers for their first, embarrassing the Portland Trailblazers for their second and taking the fire out of the Phoenix Suns for their third.
A fourth straight title was inevitable.
“I’ll always remember how shocked we were when MJ walked away from the game like that. We were ready to go for a 4th straight.”
Michael Jordan. AP FILE PHOTO
Jordan with the Barons
Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, during his baseball tenure.
He wasn’t exactly the MJ of the NBA, nonetheless, the Barons became the center of the universe when Jordan played with them.
“I kept tabs on him as he played baseball but we didn’t talk all that often. I gave him some space as he needed a break from basketball.”
As people kept saying how Jordan was embarrassing America’s favorite pastime, he was practicing to silence the critiques that made the chip on his shoulder a massive boulder.
“I really didn’t know how much he loved baseball until that point. He was pretty passionate about the game and showed he could hold his own.”
Then Jordan started showing up in their new practice facility at Berto Center in Greenfield, Illinois.
Teammate Steve Kerr asked reserve-forward Jud Buechler if Jordan will start if he comes back.
Buechler simply said, “Steve, as a general rule, when you have your own statue outside the stadium, you don’t come off the bench.”
“When MJ started showing up at Berto spring of 1995 for practices, it didn’t take long to see he was serious about getting back in the game.”
Second coming
And the second coming of NBA’s messiah was inevitable.
Just a minor roadblock, they were missing one important piece in their three-peat puzzle.
Jordan returned without power forward Horace Grant.
“We had a great year in 1993-94, no thanks to Hue Hollins, but the following season was challenging without Horace Grant.”
“Horace was a huge piece for us so to be without him and Michael felt like starting over to some degree.”
With our without Grant, Jordan was still hell-bent to reclaim NBA’s mountain top.
“We all felt after several practices that MJ’s return was inevitable but once he said ‘I’m back’ it really gave us a lift.”
Jordan’s first game didn’t pan out as “I’m back” promised.
He scored 19 points on 7/28 shooting from the field, 0/4 from three-point range, in a 103-96 loss to Reggie Miller’s Indiana Pacers.
Pippen acknowledged that it was just rust holding MJ back.
“He wore 45 of course and we didn’t think too much about it in the moment but it wasn’t the 23 we were used to seeing.”
Jordan’s no.23 jersey was still technically retired preventing him from wearing it.
His first four games saw him average 24.8 points and 39.4 shooting percentage. And on his fifth game back, the MJ of old returned.
Jordan dropped 55 points in the “double-nickel game” before dishing a pass to Bill Wennington for a dunk and a 113-111 win.
“MJ had to shake a little rust off but he showed at the Garden his swagger was back in the double nickel game.”
“I think the Knicks were tired of him killing them all night so they over compensated on that last play and MJ found @34billy42 for the win.”
And just like that the Bulls were in the playoffs after going 47-35 in the regular season.
These playoffs, however, saw them lose to the Finals-bound Orlando Magic with a nasty young duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway.
“Losing to Orlando was tough. It had been a long time since we had MJ and lost in the playoffs. But it fueled us. He took it hard.”
Just a salt in the wound, Grant was with the Magic then.
In replace of Grant in the four spot was the 90s best rebounder, Dennis Rodman.
And if Grant’s stint with the Magic was a new wound, Rodman in the Bulls was mending an old one.
Rodman was part of the Pistons’ Bad Boys that employed the Jordan Rules.
“We added some pieces to the roster, including one of the great rebounders of all time in @dennisrodman, and came back ready to work.”
What followed was championships, three of them, including a 1995-1996 season where they set the NBA record of 72 wins.
Chicago toyed with a 64-18 Seattle Supersonics, Steve Kerr did a John Paxson in 1997 against the Utah Jazz and Jordan hit the most beautiful jumpshot in the 1998 Finals against the Jazz.
“So here’s to 20 years ago and ultimately, three more championships.”
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