Ranking Michael Jordan’s 3 best performances in NBA All-Star games
Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan is one of the most celebrated players in league history. With a career spanning 15 seasons, Jordan appeared in the NBA All-Star Game in 14 of them. The only time he missed the event was during his brief retirement from basketball before the 1993–94 season to pursue a short career in professional baseball. He returned to the NBA to re-join the Chicago Bulls in March 1995.
Michael Jordan's greatness early on
Michael Jordan has played at a high level ever since he stepped onto an NBA court. He stood out with his incredible performances, rightfully getting recognized early. Michael was voted an All-Star in his very first season. That being said, he most certainly had a list of outstanding performances while sharing the floor with some of the legends in the game. Take a look at his top three performances in an NBA All-Star game.
No. 3: 1998 ASG
In the 1997-98 season, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were making a run for their second three-peat. Jordan had another strong campaign, winning the scoring title as the regular season wrapped up. By the All-Star break, Jordan was already averaging 28.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Jordan led the All-Stars in votes and was named a starter for the Eastern Conference team.
On this day in 1998, Michael Jordan became the oldest All-Star Game MVP (34) by posting a 23-8-6 line. http://t.co/wWFHzVaycw
On February 8th, 1998, Jordan faced off against a young player who idolized him on and off the court and a battle ensued between the two. The late Kobe Bryant made his first All-Star team and scored 18 points in 22 minutes. Jordan was up to the challenge and recorded 23 points on a 55.6% shooting night. He also got his teammates involved, dishing out eight assists in 32 minutes. The East led throughout the game and ended up winning by 21 points, 135-114 .
With an all-around performance that included grabbing six rebounds and three steals, Jordan was named the 1998 All-Star MVP. It was Jordan’s third time winning the award.
No. 2: 1993 ASG
The 1993 All-Star game took place on February 21st at the home of the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, the Delta Center. Due to his popularity and success at the time, Michael Jordan led all players in All-Star voting, becoming the only player to receive more than a million votes. Jordan lived up to his reputation and put on a scoring display, making a variety of shots and finishing in style.
Michael Jordan logged 30 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in an over-time fixture. Jordan did a good job drawing contact, resulting in nine points from the free-throw line. It was a well-fought battle that ended in a 135-132 victory for the West.
Karl Malone and David Robinson, who were the bigs for the West, combined for 49 points. Another interesting aspect of the game was the chemistry between Jordan and Isiah Thomas in short spurts. They were widely known as fierce rivals with a colorful history between them. Utah Jazz teammates Karl Malone and John Stockton shared the 1993 NBA All-Star MVP award, with Stockton recording 15 assists in the game.
No. 1: 1988 ASG
On February 7th, 1988, Michael Jordan made his fourth All-Star appearance on his homecourt – Chicago Stadium. Through 45 games before the All-Star break, Jordan was in one of his finest forms, averaging 33.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.7 blocks.
On the night of the match-up between the East and West, Jordan was unstoppable as he missed only six of his 23 attempts from the field. In 29 minutes on the court, Jordan had 40 points, eight rebounds, three assists, four steals and four blocks. He made his presence felt on both ends of the floor. Michael Jordan shot 73.9 % from the field and was perfect from the free-throw line, making all six attempts.
Michael Jordan was named 1988 NBA All-Star Game MVP in Chicago, scoring 40 PTS with 8 REB, 4 STL and 4 BLK!
2020 #NBAAllStar Game begins 8pm/et on TNT. https://t.co/DVlyTo9s1p
Teammate Dominique Wilkins of the Atlanta Hawks contributed 29 points, while Isiah Thomas of the Pistons dished out 15 assists. Despite having eight players score in double-digits, the West lost by five points, 138-133. Deservedly, Michael Jordan lifted his first NBA All-Star MVP trophy – at home.