"Michael Jordan & the Bulls would have won 8-10 titles" - Basketball skills coach Drew Hanlen shares the wildest NBA take he has to offer
The biggest question surrounding former NBA and Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan is how many more championships he would have won had he not retired to play baseball in 1993 and walked away from the game for the second time in 1998.
According to Drew Hanlen, who is one of the premier basketball skills coaches having trained the likes of Zach LaVine, Joel Embiid and many more, His Airness would have won at least two more rings. Hanlen took to Twitter and wrote:
"What are your wildest sports takes that you actually believe? I’ll start. Michael Jordan & the Bulls would have won 8-10 titles if MJ never retired & they kept the same group together."
Jordan retired in 1993 after winning his third championship with the aim of playing professional baseball. He returned to the NBA 18 months later as he won another three championships consecutively. The superstar retired for the second time in 1998 as the Bulls organization wanted to dismantle the team and bring in a new coach to replace Phil Jackson.
What are your wildest sports takes that you actually believe?
I’ll start. Michael Jordan & the Bulls would have won 8-10 titles if MJ never retired & they kept the same group together
Would Michael Jordan have won 8-10 championships had he not retired?
One of the primary reasons why Michael Jordan retired in 1993 was due to the fact that he was burnt out from having gone to three straight NBA Finals and won all of them. The wear and tear of the league was taking a toll on the great man and he needed a respite from all of it.
Arguably the only reason why he retired for the second time in 1998 was because the Bulls organization, led by General Manager Jerry Krause, wanted new blood in the team. The organization wanted to make changes to the coaching staff and bring in some new players. Jordan made it very clear that he wouldn't play for any other coach than Phil Jackson, but Krause's and Jackson's relationship was so toxic at the time that there was no way the Zen Master was coming back.
🗓 This Day in Stats, 1998: Michael Jordan becomes the first @NBA player to score 50+ in consecutive playoff games when he drops 55 for the @chicagobulls in Game 2 against Cleveland after lighting them up for 50 in Game 1. https://t.co/HFfk3bQrzz
What should also be taken into account is the competition that he would potentially face during the years he was away from the game. The likes of Hakeem Olajuwon and his Houston Rockets peaked during Jordan's time in retirement. His Airness would have also gone up against the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs in 1999 and the Los Angeles Lakers led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
It is one of those questions that we will never know the answer to, but it is an interesting conversation starter as fans all around the world debate the greatness of His Airness.