Watch: Michael Jordan scores 49 points against the Orlando Magic wearing a #12 jersey after his iconic #23 jersey was stolen, 32 years ago today
Former NBA and Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan dropped 49 points against the Orlando Magic on this day in 1990, having to don a #12 jersey after his iconic #23 jersey was stolen.
32 years ago today, MICHAEL JORDAN wore #12 because his jersey was stolen.
Security searched the Orlando crowd & MJ wanted the game delayed until it was found.
He scored 49 (21/43 FG) in the loss.
The jersey was found days later in the ceiling. https://t.co/kiS0Vo8L7r
MJ was superstitious about this jersey number and despite not having his iconic #23 available for the night, Jordan proceeded to drop 49 points and collect seven rebounds on better than 48% shooting from the field. He played 47 minutes as the Bulls took the game into overtime against the Orlando Magic. However, the night ended in disappointment as the Magic beat the Bulls, 135-129.
What was memorable about this performance from Jordan was the fact that he had to wear an unnamed #12 jersey because his #23 was stolen. From the cleaning crew to just about everybody in the building, everyone from the Orlando Magic personnel was blamed for the mishap. Turns out, the jersey was in the ceiling of the visitors locker room as it was finally salvaged and sent back to the Bulls organization.
Michael Jordan's final season with the Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan's final season with the Chicago Bulls was something straight out of the movies as "His Airness," along with Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Toni Kukoč, captured yet another championship and three-peat with Phil Jackson at the helm.
In pursuit of his second career three-peat, Michael Jordan played like a man possessed. He averaged 28.7 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting better than 46% from the field and over 78% from the free-throw line (career low). Even more impressive was that Jordan played all 82 games for the third straight season and nearly 39 minutes a night at age 34.
With championship aspirations after winning the previous two years, Chicago faced the New Jersey Nets (Brooklyn Nets) in the first round of the playoffs. "His Airness" dropped over 30 points in all three games as the Bulls swept the Nets.
Michael Jordan capped the 97-98 season with his 6th NBA Finals MVP Award. No other player has won Finals MVP more than 3x (first awarded in 1969).
Jordan was 6-0 in NBA Finals, the most title round wins without a loss by an MVP in NBA, NFL, NHL or MLB history. h/t @EliasSports https://t.co/ZlVT433TSN
In the second round, the Bulls played the Charlotte Hornets (a franchise MJ would later own). Michael Jordan averaged 29.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting better than 46% in this series. The Bulls needed five games to get past the Hornets.
In the Eastern Conference finals, the Indiana Pacers were waiting for Chicago. Considered to be the toughest matchup of MJ's career barring the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s, the Pacers pushed the Bulls to seven games. Michael Jordan averaged nearly 32 points on over 46% shooting from the field and 40% from 3-point range in the series.
Against the Utah Jazz, led by Karl Malone and John Stockton, Jordan kept his unblemished record of never going the distance in an NBA Finals as the Bulls won the series in six games. Michael Jordan averaged 33.5 points per game on better than 42% shooting. That performance led the Bulls to their sixth championship.