“He is indeed Floor Jordan” - When Michael Jordan hushed all haters with his game during his 3rd stint in NBA
Michael Jordan's two three-peats with the Chicago Bulls remain one of the most impressive feats in all of sports.
After taking time off to pursue baseball in his father's memory in 1994, Jordan made a triumphant return to the NBA, winning three straight titles for the second time.
While Jordan's championship runs end there, his NBA career didn't. After winning his sixth championship, Michael Jordan retired yet again. The news came amid Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman parting ways with the team, and coach Phil Jackson's contract set to expire.
When he returned, he did so for the Washington Wizards in 2001, while also serving as part owner and President of Basketball operations. With his salary set to go to victims of the 9/11 U.S. terrorist attacks, Michael Jordan made his second return to the NBA.
At the time, Sports Illustrated's L. Jon Wertheim wrote about Jordan's change in play, noting his lack of explosiveness. Despite the fact that he no longer floated through the air as he previously did, MJ still managed to silence the critics.
"The fact that he has reinvented himself and continued to perform at such a high level might be the most inspiring part of the story. Creaky knees have slowed his first step and--the odd game-saving block notwithstanding--reduced his air time.
"As former Georgetown coach John Thompson derisively predicted before the season, he is indeed Floor Jordan. Through Sunday he had dunked a grand total of 12 times this season, which would have been about two games' worth in his younger days."
Looking at Michael Jordan's time spent in Washington
Although he didn't have the same athleticism and dominance that he did in Chicago, Michael Jordan still averaged 22.9 points per game in his first year with the Wizards. In addition, he also led the team to a winning record as the team bordered playoff contention.
Had it not been for a knee injury that capped him at 60 games for the season, the Wizards were looking as though they were going to surprise a lot of people. The year prior, the team finished with an astounding 19-63 record, however with Jordan healthy they had a 26-21 record prior to his injury and the All-Star break.
In addition, Jordan even found himself in the MVP race, and was voted to the 2002 NBA All-Star team.
(Suggested Reading: MJ weighs in on modern NBA players demanding trades)
The following season, Jordan's scoring numbers dropped slightly as he averaged just 20.0 ppg, however his efficiency improved. While averaging 37.0 mpg and playing in 82 games, Michael Jordan's field goal percentage jumped from 41.6% to 44.5%.
On top of that, his three-point shooting percentage improved from 18.9% to 29.1%. Arguably the most impressive part of Jordan's final year was his stealing averages. While other parts of his game regressed, Jordan still averaged 1.4 and 1.5 steals per game during his final two years in the league.
Although he wasn't the Michael Jordan fans were accustomed to seeing posterize defenders and push the break, he was still a force to be reckoned with.
(Suggested Reading: Wizards coach recalls MJ's harsh treatment of Kwame Brown)