7. Number seven is actually four particularly memorable regular season games from his second tenure with the Bulls, all of which were a product of Michael taking umbrage at some perceived slight and/or sending a message as he deemed necessary. They seem particularly apt in light of his HOF speech from earlier (much more on this later), in which he basically ran down the list of things from which he drew motivation throughout his career. He'd always been known to take even the slightest affront and use it as a personal challenge, a motivational tool that he seemed to use more and more in his later years. It got to a point where a number of coaches would tell their younger players to just keep their mouths shut when it came to Jordan. Unfortunately for some of those coaches, they apparently didn't get that memo themselves...
As a sidenote...a big thanks to the growing contingent of MJ fans on Youtube who are kind enough to post his games, and which are linked here...from Hoopsencyclopedia, to Korone79, to ForEmily23, Starks23, Balthus23, and all the others -- thanks guys.
January 13, 1996, Bulls @ 76ers
Rookie Jerry Stackhouse, fellow UNC alum and the latest "Next Jordan" decided to mention to the local media how he had been beating MJ up in pick-up games down at UNC during the offseason. Guess what happened next?
Ah, yes. 48 points on 18-28 shooting in just over three quarters of work, while holding Stackhouse to 13 points on 4-11 shooting. My favorite moment? Check the 3:04 mark. Hopefully Stack didn't crush some poor kid while flying into the second row.
November 6, 1996, Bulls @ Heat
Fourth game of the 1997 season against Miami, one of the few Eastern Conference teams thought to have even a prayer of unseating Chicago. And of course, one of Jordan's favorite victims, Pat Riley. Statement game?
Message sent: 50 points, including some laugh-out-loud retro moves from MJ. The highlight? The sequence at the end of the first half when, after a Pippen three with time winding down, MJ stole the inbounds pass and drilled a 30-footer at the buzzer, which had me and my buddy Thong jumping up and down and screaming like little girls. Good times all around. 3:21 mark.
January 21, 1997, Knicks @ Bulls
The famous "con-man" game, in which Jeff Van Gundy claimed that Jordan would pretend to be friends with other players and then kill them on the court. Anyone could have seen what came next from a mile away: 51 points, including some choice words for Jeff after a game-clinching jumper.
February 2, 1997, Bulls @ Sonics
George Karl apparently didn't get the memo either. Pre-game remarks that Jordan was just a "jump shooter" now, and seemed to be "protecting himself." The funny thing was, it was kind of true -- MJ was basically a jump shooter at that point in his career. That included jump shots from half court, apparently. 3:20 mark.
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