Back In The Day NBA, June 3, 1992: Michael Jordan Shrugs Against The Portland Trail Blazers In Game 1 Of The NBA Finals
The 1992 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers had some critics comparing Michael Jordan to Clyde Drexler.
And that’s all Jordan needed.
Magic Johnson, an NBC analyst at the time, said Jordan was going to target Drexler after hearing the comparisons.
“The night before Game 1, Michael says, ‘You know what’s gonna happen tomorrow. I’m gonna give it to this dude,’” Johnson said.
He did exactly that, exploding in the first half of Game 1 for 35 points on six 3-pointers. He attacked Drexler and dismantled the entire team en route to a blowout victory. After hitting his sixth shot from downtown, Jordan hit the famous shrug while shaking his head at forward Cliff Robinson.
Drexler didn’t even say anything to Jordan, but the Chicago legend was known for creating narratives to fuel his game. Even though Drexler was an amazing player, Jordan wanted to show there was a clear distinction between the two shooting guards.
Chicago went on to win their second consecutive championship. Games like this are why Jordan is regarded as the greatest of all time. The competitive nature and willingness to take on the best opponent separated him from everyone else.
MORE BACK IN THE DAY NBA-RELATED STORIES
The day Dikembe Mutombo had a career-high 12 blocks. CLICK HERE
That time Michael Jordan trash-talked Hawks in pregame. CLICK HERE
When Hakeem Olajuwon had the rare triple-double. CLICK HERE
For a look at some of the latest Heat apparel. CLICK HERE
Jayden Armant is a contributor to Back in the Day NBA. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
