"I'm Back"
1995
In March 1995, Jordan announced his return to basketball with a two-word press release: “I’m back.” He solidified his second act and quieted doubters with an extraordinary performance on Broadway shortly after returning. Wearing number 45 — his old number, 23, had already been retired (though not for much longer) — Jordan dropped 55 points on one of his favorite stages, Madison Square Garden, against one of his favorite teams to torment, the New York Knicks. As if his offensive outburst weren’t enough, Jordan sealed the Bulls’ victory with a touch of trickery at the end. With the game tied in the final seconds, Jordan dribbled the length of the floor and elevated at the foul line. The entire New York metropolitan area expected him to shoot. Instead, as the Knicks defense converged on him, he dished the ball to journeyman center Bill Wennington, who was wide-open under the basket. Wennington’s dunk gave Chicago the victory. Welcome back, Michael.
Father's Day Tribute
Game 6, 1996 NBA finals
In the ’96 finals, Chicago capped its record-setting, 72-win regular season by downing the Seattle Sonics in six games. After the clincher on Father’s Day, Jordan retreated to the Bulls’ locker room and splayed out on the floor. He clutched a basketball and cried uncontrollably, obviously overcome with emotion while thinking about his late father James. “I can’t even put it into words, what it means to me, on Father’s Day,” Jordan said a few minutes later after regaining his composure. “I know he’s watching.”
