Watch: Michael Jordan drops playoff career-high 63 points against Celtics in front of hostile Boston crowd, on this day 36 years ago
In 1986, the Boston Celtics found themselves matched up against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. They didn't know it at the time, but that series was the turning point for one of the game's greatest talents.
In just his second season with the Bulls, Jordan found himself matched up against Bird and the Boston Celtics in the playoffs. Boston held on for a 135-131, double-overtime victory in the old Boston Garden. But it was the first real glimpse of the player who would go down as the greatest ever.
Jordan put on one of the most spectacular playoff showings ever 36 years ago today. At 22 years old, he went into the Garden and scored 63 points. On top of this scoring barrage, he tallied five rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. Plus, his two free throws with no time remaining in regulation sent the game into overtime.
Sadly for the young guard, his incredible effort wouldn't be enough. Led by Bird's 36 points and 12 rebounds and Kevin McHale's 27 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks, Boston got a four-point victory.
While it wasn't enough to get the win, Jordan's performance had Bird's full attention. When asked about the outing, he had a somewhat joking response that has since become legendary:
"That was God disguised as Michael Jordan."
On this day in 1986, Michael Jordan poured a playoff career-high 63 PTS amid a rowdy Boston Garden crowd! 🗓
#NBA75 https://t.co/sKFKouKJ76
Michael Jordan begins his rise to superstardom
In today's day and age, young players are met with loft expectations early on. Before LeBron James even stepped foot in the NBA in 2003, he was labeled to eventually be one of the best ever. While the assessment was right, it placed a lot of pressure on an 18-year-old.
For generations before, the rise to elite status was more natural. Michael Jordan is a perfect example of that. Coming into the league, nobody was saying the third pick in the 1984 draft was going to be the greatest ever. But through hard work and determination, he managed to cement his name among the elite.
Looking back at his career, this performance sparked Jordan's rise to being an all-time great. After scoring 63 in the playoffs against the Celtics and getting credit from Larry Bird, people knew who he was after that. As we know, Jordan eventually went on to take the torch from Bird and Magic Johnson.
All superstars have that one moment in their careers that launches their trajectories into the stratosphere. For Jordan, this was easily it. To this day, his 63 points against the Celtics is the most points scored in a playoff game by a single player.
“That wasn’t Michael Jordan out there. That was God disguised as Michael Jordan.” - Larry Bird
36 years ago today, a 2nd-year MJ did this in a Playoff loss to the Boston Celtics: 63 PTS (22/41 FG, 0/0 3PT), 6 AST, 5 REB, 3 STL, 2 BLK https://t.co/YsuglQW0Ci
Jordan might not have felt good at the time, but this performance would be the first of many historic nights for the Hall of Fame guard.