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Michael Jordan’s time as a point guard during the 1988-89 NBA season
Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is undoubtedly the greatest shooting guard of all time. However, he excelled at more than just scoring at will. During the 1988-89 season, MJ was moved to the point guard position. And yes, he more than delivered.
The experiment
On March 8, 1989, the Jordan-less Bulls lost 104-95 on the road against the Larry Bird-less Boston Celtics. The Bulls were 34-24 at the time, on pace to finish with a worse record than the previous season.
The next day, Jordan held a two-hour meeting with head coach Doug Collins. While Collins always kept Jordan as the offense’s focal point, the six-time NBA champion was frustrated because he felt he didn’t receive help on that end of the court. Sam Vincent, the Bulls’ point guard, struggled to run the offense, and Collins decided to move Jordan to that position. His Airness embraced it and put up a stretch for the ages.
The result
Jordan flourished in his new role as the Bulls' starting point guard. He had 15 assists in his first game and led the Bulls to a 105-88 home win. Two days later, he had 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists in just 30 minutes in a 122-90 home win against the Pacers,
“For the most part, I’m starting to like it. I never dreamed I’d play that position – me, a lifelong (shooting) guard. But it helps. I can call my own plays and get everyone else involved in the offense,” Jordan said after recording 16 assists in a 104-103 road win against the Lakers on March 21, 1989.
Jordan continued to play at point guard until the end of the season. He averaged 30.4 points, 10.7 assists, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.4 steals in 39.8 minutes over 24 games.
Between March 24 and April 14, Jordan recorded a triple-double in 10 of the 11 games, including seven straight. The only time he failed to put up a triple-double was in a 114-112 overtime loss against the Pistons at home on April 7, 1989. However, he still finished with 40 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds.
