How did Michael Jordan fare in his rookie year statistically? All you need to know
Some basketball fans consider Michael Jordan to be the greatest of all time. They're not to blame, considering how Jordan immediately exuded greatness in his first year.
Fresh from North Carolina, the young MJ was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984. Jordan, who was 21 at the time, picked up from where he left off in college and became the franchise player for Chicago.
With that said, let's take a look at Michael Jordan's rookie year.
Rookie Michael Jordan: Debut season stats
During the 1984 NBA draft, Michael Jordan was the third overall pick selected by the Chicago Bulls. Jordan was one of the top college players at the time, which is why he ended up getting drafted early in the first round. MJ averaged 17.7 points, five rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game in college.
Come October 26, 1984, Michael Jordan made his NBA debut when the Bulls went up against the Washington Bullets. Given that there were some high expectations for Jordan, he successfully lived up to them. MJ displayed an impressive all-round game on his debut, accumulating 16 points, seven assists, six rebounds, four blocks, and two steals.
Two games later, Jordan proved once again that he would be a superstar in the NBA for a long time. MJ put on a show with his scoring and defensive game against the Milwaukee Bucks. He scored 37 points, accompanied by six steals, five assists, four rebounds, and two blocks. These stats were insane for a rookie. Jordan was fearless when going up against many seasoned veterans in the league.
On November 13, 1984, Jordan achieved his first career double-double when the Bulls hosted the San Antonio Spurs. MJ ended up with 45 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks. Immediately after beating his first career-high in points, Jordan was seen as a rookie who had the potential to become one of the top dogs in the league.
Michael Jordan continued his relentless scoring assault in the next several games until he was able to outclass his previous career-high in points again. This time it was against the Detroit Pistons on February 2, 1985. Jordan had another double-double performance with 49 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
Overall, Jordan scored the league's highest number of points (2,313), averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.4 steals per game in the 1984–85 NBA season. These stats allowed him to be named an NBA All-Star in his first season and earned him the 1985 Rookie of the Year award.