"Like I’m in jail": Michael Jordan once told his teammates he would retire in 5 years after shambolic 3-point contest performance
Michael Jordan is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. While Jordan's game largely focused on scoring inside the paint and from midrange, his competitive spirit left him furious after a bad performance.
Sam Smith in his famed book "The Jordan Rules" wrote about Michael growing tired of the NBA. After lackluster performances in the regular season following the All-Star break, Michael had little interest in participating in All-Star weekend.
To get ahead of things, Jordan told former Chicago Bulls GM Rod Thorn, who was working as an NBA exec, that the prize pool was too small. If Thorn and the NBA wanted him to compete in the three-point contest, the league better pay up.
Jordan expected the league to scoff at the $7,500 prize increase, but that wasn't the case. Thorn then came back and said the league agreed, but before that, he announced Jordan would compete in the three-point contest.
Michael and the Bulls took things a step further when they made the Bulls medical staff allege he had an injury. Despite that, Jordan wound up participating in the 1990 three-point contest, scoring just five points. Smith wrote in his book,
"Jordan had been shooting more threes that season and hitting them, but he was nervous for the contest and posted an all-time low score of five points. He’d had it with All-Star weekend contests. In many ways, Jordan had had it with basketball. 'Five more years,' he eagerly told teammates early in January.
"'Five more years and I’m out of here. I’m marking these days on a calendar like I’m in jail. I’m tired of being used by this organization, by the league, by the writers, by everyone.'"
Michael Jordan's plan to retire and his triumphant return to basketball
Over the years, the common belief has been that Michael retired from the game after his father died. Amid a wildly successful basketball career that had seen the Bulls win three straight titles, Jordan's decision to play baseball came as a surprise to many.
After hearing about Jordan's comments following the 1990 three-point contest, his decision to retire doesn't seem surprising. His plan to retire from the league five years from 1990 coincides with his hiatus to pursue baseball.
(Suggested Reading: Michael Jordan explains why golf is therapeutic)
The death of Jordan's father undoubtedly took a hard toll on him. With that being said, Smith's "Jordan Rules" says his father's death seemed to be a contributing factor in his decision to retire, but not the only factor.
Of course, after his hiatus from the sport, Jordan wound up returning to the Chicago Bulls, helping them with another sensational three-peat run. While his days of competing professionally are long behind him, it's no secret that Jordan's fierce competitive spirit continues on the golf course.