1 00:00:24,607 --> 00:00:27,401 Get your playoff programs! Playoff programs! 2 00:00:27,485 --> 00:00:29,695 Bulls-Charlotte program! 3 00:00:29,779 --> 00:00:31,882 - What time is it? - Game time! 4 00:00:31,906 --> 00:00:35,242 In Chicago, game one of round two. 5 00:00:35,326 --> 00:00:38,046 Pregame with the Bulls and the Hornets. Who's gonna win? 6 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:40,539 I believe the Bulls are gonna win by 18 points. 7 00:00:40,623 --> 00:00:43,351 - The Bulls'll win by 13. - Blowout city. Bulls. 8 00:00:43,375 --> 00:00:45,103 - Clean sweep. - All right. 9 00:00:45,127 --> 00:00:46,420 It will be a sweep. 10 00:00:47,588 --> 00:00:49,673 By then, I was playing for Charlotte, 11 00:00:49,757 --> 00:00:53,469 and... look, let's just be honest here. 12 00:00:53,552 --> 00:00:58,057 The Bulls were a far superior team, and they knew it. 13 00:01:06,816 --> 00:01:08,136 Now it's Michael. 14 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,739 Spinning, shooting over Wesley, and there's his first basket. 15 00:01:14,323 --> 00:01:17,076 If the Hornets don't contain Jordan, 16 00:01:17,159 --> 00:01:19,578 look for this to be a very short series. 17 00:01:23,916 --> 00:01:26,418 Phil Jackson smiling at game's end. 18 00:01:26,502 --> 00:01:29,630 His team now 4-0 in this year's playoffs. 19 00:01:30,923 --> 00:01:32,466 We lost the first one, 20 00:01:32,550 --> 00:01:36,345 but I thought I knew that system as well as anybody. 21 00:01:37,179 --> 00:01:38,597 And I knew how to beat them. 22 00:01:47,523 --> 00:01:49,733 Here is BJ Armstrong with a jumper. 23 00:01:49,817 --> 00:01:51,497 That was just bad defense. 24 00:01:52,027 --> 00:01:53,779 And BJ Armstrong... 25 00:01:54,697 --> 00:01:56,615 pushing it up, guarded by Kerr. 26 00:01:57,157 --> 00:02:00,411 And now BJ Armstrong, the former Chicago Bull, 27 00:02:00,494 --> 00:02:03,455 hits a basket to give the Hornets a three-point lead. 28 00:02:04,039 --> 00:02:06,250 BJ Armstrong getting more minutes 29 00:02:06,333 --> 00:02:07,835 than he usually has this year. 30 00:02:07,918 --> 00:02:11,755 Perhaps his knowledge of the Bulls is part of Dave Cowens' thinking here. 31 00:02:12,882 --> 00:02:15,885 Here's Armstrong. Trying to push it up again. 32 00:02:15,968 --> 00:02:17,261 And Armstrong hits, 33 00:02:17,344 --> 00:02:21,098 and now the Hornets can't miss as Phil Jackson wants a timeout. 34 00:02:22,725 --> 00:02:24,885 I was excited to face them in the playoffs, 35 00:02:24,935 --> 00:02:29,231 knowing what I knew about the Bulls, what I knew about Michael, 36 00:02:29,315 --> 00:02:32,818 and to see if everything that I had learned would actually work. 37 00:02:33,444 --> 00:02:36,780 Michael was Michael, but anybody can have a moment. I just had a moment. 38 00:02:37,489 --> 00:02:40,242 And in that moment, I knew what to do. 39 00:02:40,826 --> 00:02:43,704 Out to BJ with 30 seconds to go. 40 00:02:43,787 --> 00:02:46,290 BJ against his former teammate, Michael. 41 00:02:46,373 --> 00:02:48,459 Here come the Hornets with a three-point lead. 42 00:02:48,542 --> 00:02:50,377 Hornets can hold on to this ball. 43 00:02:50,461 --> 00:02:54,715 Jordan against Armstrong. Armstrong backs up to the sideline. 44 00:02:54,798 --> 00:02:57,468 Works off a Divac screen to the right wing, pull-up pop. 45 00:02:57,551 --> 00:02:58,551 And it's good! 46 00:02:59,595 --> 00:03:02,765 BJ gives the Hornets a five-point lead 47 00:03:02,848 --> 00:03:08,187 with 17.8 seconds to go. Timeout, Chicago. 48 00:03:08,687 --> 00:03:10,314 I hit that shot... 49 00:03:11,815 --> 00:03:14,151 and I remember, I let Michael know. 50 00:03:17,196 --> 00:03:19,657 I let Phil Jackson know, I let Scottie know, 51 00:03:19,740 --> 00:03:22,159 I let everyone that I knew over there know. 52 00:03:22,242 --> 00:03:24,745 The Hornets have evened the series 53 00:03:24,828 --> 00:03:28,082 in a stunning upset over the Chicago Bulls. 54 00:03:28,791 --> 00:03:33,671 Believe me, fans, no Hornet is happier than BJ Armstrong. 55 00:03:33,754 --> 00:03:37,883 For him, this is not just a ball game, this is vindication. 56 00:03:37,967 --> 00:03:41,136 This is "get back in your face," big-time. 57 00:03:41,220 --> 00:03:44,223 He just opened up a can of "Whoop-Bulls." 58 00:03:45,140 --> 00:03:47,267 I felt like BJ should know better. 59 00:03:47,351 --> 00:03:51,271 If you're gonna high-five, talk trash, now I had a bone to pick with you. 60 00:03:51,814 --> 00:03:55,401 I'm supposed to kill this guy, I'm supposed to dominate this guy, 61 00:03:55,985 --> 00:03:57,528 and from that point on, I did. 62 00:04:00,447 --> 00:04:01,949 A spectacular move! 63 00:04:02,032 --> 00:04:03,617 The game's over! 64 00:04:03,701 --> 00:04:06,036 Chicago Stadium is going wild! 65 00:04:07,997 --> 00:04:10,183 First of all, there's no backstabbing going on here. 66 00:04:10,207 --> 00:04:11,518 It's time for me to move on. 67 00:04:11,542 --> 00:04:14,102 This will be Phil's last year as the coach of the Bulls. 68 00:04:16,547 --> 00:04:19,591 - Are the expectations too high? - Where do we go from here? 69 00:04:19,675 --> 00:04:21,595 The only question: how long can it last? 70 00:04:31,687 --> 00:04:34,273 Earlier in the show, you saw the vision 71 00:04:34,356 --> 00:04:37,401 of how the Hornets shocked the Bulls 78-76 in Chicago 72 00:04:37,484 --> 00:04:39,445 to even that best-of-seven series at one, 73 00:04:39,528 --> 00:04:41,739 and it was a former Bull, BJ Armstrong, 74 00:04:41,822 --> 00:04:44,302 whose jumper, with 18 ticks left, sealed the win for Charlotte. 75 00:04:44,783 --> 00:04:46,452 After, the reaction... 76 00:04:47,995 --> 00:04:50,664 Michael holds himself to such a high level. 77 00:04:51,248 --> 00:04:54,668 When you've played as long as he did, at the level he did, 78 00:04:55,502 --> 00:04:59,131 he constructed reasons to play hard that night. 79 00:05:01,425 --> 00:05:04,803 These little slights were deep indignations to him. 80 00:05:06,555 --> 00:05:09,641 That's all he needs. That's like throwing meat to a tiger. 81 00:05:10,559 --> 00:05:13,729 He'd find a game within the game to keep him interested. 82 00:05:14,772 --> 00:05:16,148 But it was all in his mind. 83 00:05:16,231 --> 00:05:18,901 The second straight year the Bulls lost game two... 84 00:05:18,984 --> 00:05:22,029 Do you know the LaBradford Smith story? Has anybody told you that? 85 00:05:22,112 --> 00:05:24,114 This was back in '93. 86 00:05:24,198 --> 00:05:27,284 At one guard from Louisville, LaBradford Smith. 87 00:05:27,367 --> 00:05:31,413 The Bullets were terrible. LaBradford Smith was their draft pick, 88 00:05:31,955 --> 00:05:34,166 but this is what I always say, "You never know. 89 00:05:34,249 --> 00:05:36,543 It could be your night. You never know." 90 00:05:36,627 --> 00:05:40,380 This night... was LaBradford Smith's night. 91 00:05:40,464 --> 00:05:42,800 LaBradford Smith, left wing, drains it. 92 00:05:43,383 --> 00:05:46,762 LaBradford Smith came off the screen, from 16. Wow! 93 00:05:46,845 --> 00:05:50,641 Baseline. Smith has hit everything else from there, why not another one? 94 00:05:50,724 --> 00:05:55,020 LaBradford Smith had a game. I mean, he had a game of games. 95 00:05:55,104 --> 00:05:56,956 Jordan posted up against Smith. 96 00:05:56,980 --> 00:05:59,500 For whatever reason, Michael couldn't make a basket. 97 00:05:59,525 --> 00:06:01,860 Spins in the lane, couldn't get it. 98 00:06:02,945 --> 00:06:04,905 LaBradford Smith with a move, and... 99 00:06:04,988 --> 00:06:07,574 Michael hits him on the body... He nails it. 100 00:06:07,658 --> 00:06:10,327 Smith, he has really got that touch going. 101 00:06:10,410 --> 00:06:13,497 Not talking about him, we're talking about LaBradford Smith. 102 00:06:13,580 --> 00:06:18,710 In Chicago, LaBradford Smith scores 37 points against Michael Jordan. 103 00:06:19,628 --> 00:06:22,548 He said thatLaBradford Smith, walking out of the gym, 104 00:06:22,631 --> 00:06:24,341 had said, "Nice game, Mike." 105 00:06:27,344 --> 00:06:29,388 You knew that wasn't gonna go down well. 106 00:06:30,681 --> 00:06:33,433 The next night, they play in Washington. 107 00:06:33,517 --> 00:06:36,436 We played 'em back-to-back. So, we're flying to Washington. 108 00:06:37,312 --> 00:06:41,984 He said, "Tomorrow, in the first half, I'm gonna have... 109 00:06:42,734 --> 00:06:44,486 what this kid had in the game." 110 00:06:47,322 --> 00:06:50,868 I've never seen a man go after another player the way he did. 111 00:06:56,331 --> 00:06:57,791 You saw that coming. 112 00:06:59,626 --> 00:07:01,211 I think he's made his statement. 113 00:07:01,295 --> 00:07:04,923 Jordan scores 36 in the first half. 114 00:07:06,091 --> 00:07:09,386 He's concentrating almost solely on LaBradford. 115 00:07:09,928 --> 00:07:14,016 He took such umbrage at a guy saying, "Nice game, Mike," 116 00:07:14,099 --> 00:07:18,770 that he torched and humiliated him in front of 20,000 people. 117 00:07:22,232 --> 00:07:25,569 Fast forward to decades past the incident, 118 00:07:26,153 --> 00:07:28,155 and there's a rumor this never happened. 119 00:07:28,238 --> 00:07:31,617 Smith never put his arm around Mike and said, "Nice game, Mike." 120 00:07:32,367 --> 00:07:37,039 A couple of writers went up to Michael and said, "Did this ever happen?" 121 00:07:37,122 --> 00:07:40,042 Michael, with a smile, was just like, "No, I made it up." 122 00:07:42,127 --> 00:07:46,757 There's nothing he would not do to get himself to the place 123 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:48,300 where he's going to beat you. 124 00:07:54,806 --> 00:07:57,392 You pissed off about last night? 125 00:07:57,476 --> 00:07:58,476 Uh-uh. 126 00:08:00,395 --> 00:08:02,481 Why? You think I should be? 127 00:08:03,774 --> 00:08:05,400 So what? We lost one game. 128 00:08:06,944 --> 00:08:07,944 Okay. 129 00:08:09,738 --> 00:08:11,406 It'll be a dogfight tomorrow. 130 00:08:12,032 --> 00:08:16,453 With BJ hittin' that shot and staring the whole bench down and whatnot, 131 00:08:17,162 --> 00:08:19,748 it just didn't sit well with Michael, and we knew. 132 00:08:19,831 --> 00:08:23,502 In the locker room, we said, "Listen, guys, we're gonna have a dogfight 133 00:08:23,585 --> 00:08:27,631 from here on out because we have woke Michael Jordan up." 134 00:08:27,714 --> 00:08:28,714 Yeah. 135 00:08:30,550 --> 00:08:31,843 I mean, that's all right. 136 00:08:33,220 --> 00:08:36,390 Let's see if all that trash-talking starts when it's zero-zero 137 00:08:36,473 --> 00:08:39,184 instead of five, six-point lead. 138 00:08:40,185 --> 00:08:41,603 That's where it starts. 139 00:08:43,397 --> 00:08:47,025 That's the sign of a good man, if you can talk shit when it's even score, 140 00:08:47,567 --> 00:08:51,488 or talk shit when you're behind score. When you're ahead, it's easy to talk. 141 00:08:55,534 --> 00:09:00,455 Mike does not need any more gas in his car to get going. 142 00:09:00,539 --> 00:09:02,624 But then when you do that, 143 00:09:03,500 --> 00:09:08,630 you have to expect all hell to break loose from that point on. 144 00:09:11,675 --> 00:09:13,302 And, yeah, that's what happened. 145 00:09:23,395 --> 00:09:25,314 All right. Let's bring our best game. 146 00:09:25,397 --> 00:09:26,440 Come on. 147 00:09:26,523 --> 00:09:28,525 Let's play hard. Get pissed. 148 00:09:28,608 --> 00:09:29,943 Payback is a motherfucker. 149 00:09:30,027 --> 00:09:31,486 - Let's go. - Let's go. 150 00:09:31,570 --> 00:09:33,864 - What time is it? - Game time! 151 00:09:34,990 --> 00:09:37,743 Armstrong at the top, shadowed by Michael. 152 00:09:37,826 --> 00:09:40,370 Gives up his dribble, pressured by Michael. 153 00:09:40,454 --> 00:09:41,496 He came after me 154 00:09:41,580 --> 00:09:44,624 in the rest of the series, especially that next game. 155 00:09:44,708 --> 00:09:47,044 Armstrong, top of the circle. 156 00:09:47,127 --> 00:09:50,172 Michael all over him. Armstrong, nowhere to go. 157 00:09:50,255 --> 00:09:54,009 Jordan with a turnaround over Armstrong. He knew he had him. 158 00:09:54,092 --> 00:09:57,137 So the Hornets take Armstrong off of Jordan momentarily. 159 00:09:57,220 --> 00:10:00,220 Armstrong tonight, only two points on one-of-seven shooting. 160 00:10:00,265 --> 00:10:04,019 Michael Jordan has 20, and the Bulls doing everything right. 161 00:10:12,402 --> 00:10:15,364 The Bulls coming back, winning the game they had to win. 162 00:10:18,450 --> 00:10:21,661 I think BJ kind of forgot what drives us. 163 00:10:22,704 --> 00:10:27,417 He woke us up, if we were in a sleep, and we've been able to capitalize on that. 164 00:10:29,753 --> 00:10:32,440 Welcome to game four of this series with the Hornets, 165 00:10:32,464 --> 00:10:34,508 the home club, trailing two games to one. 166 00:10:36,551 --> 00:10:37,928 Here's the steal! 167 00:10:40,639 --> 00:10:42,099 And count the basket. 168 00:10:42,182 --> 00:10:44,768 The Bulls win it 94-80. 169 00:10:44,851 --> 00:10:46,971 The Bulls have just taken their heart. 170 00:10:47,020 --> 00:10:48,397 That's what the Bulls do to you. 171 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:50,792 Jordan getting a step, Rice stays with him. 172 00:10:50,816 --> 00:10:52,943 And Jordan scores anyway. 173 00:10:53,026 --> 00:10:56,530 And the final score, 93-84, 174 00:10:56,613 --> 00:10:59,616 as the Bulls knock out the Hornets in five 175 00:10:59,699 --> 00:11:02,202 and will now face the Indiana Pacers. 176 00:11:02,828 --> 00:11:05,705 Halfway home. The way I look at it. 177 00:11:10,252 --> 00:11:12,754 Better watch out. We may go undefeated from here on in. 178 00:11:27,018 --> 00:11:28,538 The fact of the matter is, 179 00:11:28,603 --> 00:11:31,398 in my opinion, if Michael had stayed with baseball, 180 00:11:31,481 --> 00:11:33,233 he would've gotten to the major leagues. 181 00:11:34,192 --> 00:11:38,738 But when the baseball strike started in '94 182 00:11:38,822 --> 00:11:42,742 and Major League Baseball came up with what was a really dumb idea 183 00:11:42,826 --> 00:11:45,579 of trying to start the season with replacement players. 184 00:11:45,662 --> 00:11:47,706 Today, in spring training camps across the nation, 185 00:11:47,789 --> 00:11:51,835 replacement baseball players facing replacement baseball players. 186 00:11:53,378 --> 00:11:57,841 There was a strike that year, and they asked him to cross the picket line. 187 00:11:57,924 --> 00:12:00,051 Michael said, "No, I'm not doing that." 188 00:12:00,135 --> 00:12:02,846 Michael Jordan has said all along that he will not play 189 00:12:02,929 --> 00:12:04,556 in replacement games during the strike. 190 00:12:04,639 --> 00:12:09,269 A man of his word, Jordan today walked out of the White Sox camp. 191 00:12:14,149 --> 00:12:16,985 One day, he called me and said, "I'm in town. 192 00:12:17,611 --> 00:12:20,197 What are you doing?" I said, "I'm about to go to practice, 193 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,241 you know the routine." He was like, "Let's meet at... 194 00:12:23,867 --> 00:12:25,494 Bakers Square." I said, "All right." 195 00:12:25,577 --> 00:12:29,247 After breakfast, we eat our little pancakes, 196 00:12:29,998 --> 00:12:32,709 and I was like, "I gotta go to practice." I was like, 197 00:12:32,792 --> 00:12:36,796 "Why don't you just come over? Say hello. Everybody would like to see you." 198 00:12:38,924 --> 00:12:39,924 Morning. 199 00:12:41,176 --> 00:12:42,928 He comes over to practice, 200 00:12:43,637 --> 00:12:45,055 and I started telling him, 201 00:12:45,138 --> 00:12:47,557 "You old, you been out of the game. You can't play no more. 202 00:12:47,641 --> 00:12:51,228 I'll kick your ass right now." More or less. 203 00:12:51,311 --> 00:12:53,647 First, it was a joke, 204 00:12:53,730 --> 00:12:57,067 and before I knew it, we were playing a full one-on-one. 205 00:12:57,150 --> 00:13:01,029 I just could feel something different was going on that day. 206 00:13:01,112 --> 00:13:03,740 You just had a different feeling in that locker room, 207 00:13:03,823 --> 00:13:06,993 and I remember asking Harp, "What's going on?" 208 00:13:07,077 --> 00:13:10,121 And Harp just turned to me and said, "The man is here." 209 00:13:10,622 --> 00:13:13,500 Super Mike working out yesterday with his old teammates. 210 00:13:13,583 --> 00:13:17,212 Is this a trend or just scratching his basketball itch? 211 00:13:17,295 --> 00:13:21,424 Just the hint that Michael Jordan might be returning to the NBA 212 00:13:21,508 --> 00:13:24,844 sent newsrooms and reporters scurrying all day today. 213 00:13:24,928 --> 00:13:29,140 Too much speculation. There are too many ifs and too many things to be worked out. 214 00:13:29,224 --> 00:13:33,270 Trying to guess what Mike will do next has become a full-time hobby for many. 215 00:13:34,145 --> 00:13:37,691 It started to come into my mind, "Maybe go back, maybe go back." 216 00:13:38,275 --> 00:13:40,527 Scottie, actually, on TV, 217 00:13:40,610 --> 00:13:43,029 with the shoes up, telling me to come back. 218 00:13:43,113 --> 00:13:46,533 Did you see Scottie pointing to the Air Jordan emblem 219 00:13:46,616 --> 00:13:47,826 on the bottom of his sneaker? 220 00:13:47,909 --> 00:13:50,287 Will the basketball great return to the Bulls? 221 00:13:50,370 --> 00:13:52,747 Jordan participated in the Bulls practice 222 00:13:52,831 --> 00:13:54,499 for the third time in a week. 223 00:13:54,583 --> 00:13:57,294 The MJ watch continues among fans, the media, 224 00:13:57,377 --> 00:13:59,546 and his possible future teammates, 225 00:13:59,629 --> 00:14:01,006 but even with fingers crossed, 226 00:14:01,089 --> 00:14:04,384 not everyone believes that Michael is really coming back. 227 00:14:04,467 --> 00:14:06,553 I would be surprised if he came back. 228 00:14:06,636 --> 00:14:09,514 The sports world hangs on the next word of Michael Jordan. 229 00:14:09,598 --> 00:14:11,308 But he isn't talking yet. 230 00:14:11,391 --> 00:14:14,436 But only Jordan knows the answer everyone's looking for, 231 00:14:14,519 --> 00:14:17,606 and it seems he'll share it in his own good time. 232 00:14:18,940 --> 00:14:22,527 So, finally, after all this stuff, he called me and he said, 233 00:14:22,611 --> 00:14:24,154 "I think I'm ready to come back." 234 00:14:24,696 --> 00:14:28,241 So I wrote three or four different versions, you know, 235 00:14:28,325 --> 00:14:31,244 of the press release, for him to announce he was coming back, 236 00:14:31,328 --> 00:14:35,999 but he didn't feel comfortable that it had captured what he wanted to say. 237 00:14:36,583 --> 00:14:38,585 So I said, "Why don't you freaking write one?" 238 00:14:38,668 --> 00:14:40,545 I gave him the pen and paper and he just wrote. 239 00:14:42,756 --> 00:14:44,341 That's all he needed to say. 240 00:14:46,259 --> 00:14:47,969 The sign says it all. 241 00:14:48,053 --> 00:14:50,764 Now, Bulls fans can take a deep breath and relax. 242 00:14:50,847 --> 00:14:54,309 We no longer have to endure life without Michael. 243 00:14:54,392 --> 00:14:55,769 The drought is over. 244 00:14:55,852 --> 00:14:57,729 Jordan is back. 245 00:14:57,812 --> 00:14:59,814 We should all bow our heads in a moment of silence 246 00:14:59,898 --> 00:15:02,609 in recognition of Jordan's return to pro basketball. 247 00:15:02,692 --> 00:15:06,237 Chicago sports fans riding high on Air Jordan these days. 248 00:15:06,321 --> 00:15:08,966 Word from the Windy City, Air Jordan is back with the Bulls. 249 00:15:08,990 --> 00:15:12,077 All seems right in the world because MJ's back. 250 00:15:13,662 --> 00:15:16,498 He sends the famous fax out, "I'm back." 251 00:15:16,581 --> 00:15:18,667 And it was shocking 252 00:15:18,750 --> 00:15:22,962 given that we were almost at the end of the season. 253 00:15:23,546 --> 00:15:28,093 The Chicago Bulls are barely above.500 with a 34-31 record. 254 00:15:28,176 --> 00:15:32,013 That '94-'95 season, we struggled. 255 00:15:32,097 --> 00:15:35,642 We lost Horace Grant when he went to Orlando, 256 00:15:35,725 --> 00:15:37,644 and that was really upsetting. 257 00:15:37,727 --> 00:15:41,731 Yesterday afternoon, Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf cut ties with Grant. 258 00:15:41,815 --> 00:15:45,151 They could have extended his contract and they didn't. 259 00:15:45,235 --> 00:15:48,488 And then Horace Grant goes out and becomes the star with Orlando. 260 00:15:48,571 --> 00:15:51,324 Here's Horace! In person! 261 00:15:51,408 --> 00:15:54,661 That year, the Bulls had missed that power forward, that rebounder, 262 00:15:54,744 --> 00:15:56,913 that defensive presence with the loss of Grant. 263 00:15:57,664 --> 00:16:00,291 It wasn't the previous season where 264 00:16:00,375 --> 00:16:03,753 we had the residual effect of the championships 265 00:16:03,837 --> 00:16:06,840 and the foundation and the core group. 266 00:16:07,674 --> 00:16:10,593 We were kind of a mess the next year. We weren't that good. 267 00:16:11,136 --> 00:16:13,304 So, when Michael came back, it gave us new life. 268 00:16:13,388 --> 00:16:14,388 It was like... 269 00:16:15,014 --> 00:16:18,268 "Wait a second, you know, we can... we can do this again." 270 00:16:21,730 --> 00:16:23,410 When Michael first came back, 271 00:16:23,481 --> 00:16:25,859 he's like, "Billy, we're finally gonna get to play together. 272 00:16:25,942 --> 00:16:27,527 I want you to jump on the cape. 273 00:16:28,194 --> 00:16:29,779 But you need to hold on." 274 00:16:30,363 --> 00:16:32,907 "All right." That set the tone from day one. 275 00:16:32,991 --> 00:16:35,577 After the baseball, he was even more committed. 276 00:16:35,660 --> 00:16:38,455 More... goal oriented, 277 00:16:38,538 --> 00:16:40,999 and the goals were only winning a championship. 278 00:16:41,082 --> 00:16:42,459 Winning a championship. 279 00:16:47,338 --> 00:16:50,550 Today's the day basketball fans have been waiting for. 280 00:16:51,468 --> 00:16:53,219 After an absence of a year and a half, 281 00:16:53,303 --> 00:16:55,764 superstar Michael Jordan is back in the game, 282 00:16:55,847 --> 00:16:59,350 and he'll play with the Bulls later today against the Indiana Pacers. 283 00:17:05,148 --> 00:17:08,526 We landed and we got off the airplane. I was waiting for Michael. 284 00:17:08,610 --> 00:17:11,029 Waited a few minutes and whatnot, 285 00:17:11,112 --> 00:17:13,531 and I think Michael was just having a quiet emotional time 286 00:17:13,615 --> 00:17:14,949 on the plane by himself 'cause... 287 00:17:16,159 --> 00:17:19,537 this is the first time he was gonna play without his father being around. 288 00:17:19,621 --> 00:17:21,372 And, uh, it hit him hard. 289 00:17:23,666 --> 00:17:25,960 And he was tearing up a little bit, 290 00:17:26,044 --> 00:17:29,964 and I said, "Hey, you got this. You ready to go?" 291 00:17:30,673 --> 00:17:33,092 "Yeah. Just give me a minute. I'll be with you in a minute." 292 00:17:38,431 --> 00:17:39,599 I was nervous... 293 00:17:41,100 --> 00:17:45,021 'cause I hadn't played competitive in a long time. 294 00:17:45,605 --> 00:17:49,943 And I just felt naked, you know, because my father just wasn't there. 295 00:17:51,945 --> 00:17:53,029 So different. 296 00:17:53,947 --> 00:17:56,825 Playing a game without his dad being there... 297 00:17:57,742 --> 00:18:02,413 I think that brought James' death back to light for him. 298 00:18:02,956 --> 00:18:04,666 MJ's in town! 299 00:18:04,749 --> 00:18:06,501 Who needs tickets? Four together. 300 00:18:06,584 --> 00:18:07,584 $150 each. 301 00:18:07,627 --> 00:18:09,879 - I give you $200. - Give me $225. 302 00:18:09,963 --> 00:18:12,215 Been offered two grand for these tickets. Said, "No way." 303 00:18:12,799 --> 00:18:15,176 This is as close to the Super Bowl I'm ever gonna come. 304 00:18:16,886 --> 00:18:18,471 What Michael Jordan does today 305 00:18:18,555 --> 00:18:20,890 and what he will attempt to do in the next several months 306 00:18:20,974 --> 00:18:23,434 or maybe years is truly unprecedented. 307 00:18:23,935 --> 00:18:27,188 He doesn't want to simply be effective or even be an All-Star. 308 00:18:27,272 --> 00:18:29,732 He wants to be the best again. He wants to dominate. 309 00:18:29,816 --> 00:18:33,319 Can he? And if he can, are the Bulls a championship contender? 310 00:18:36,990 --> 00:18:41,035 The atmosphere in Market Square was electric. 311 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:42,912 We ran out onto the floor, 312 00:18:43,454 --> 00:18:48,793 and the air was thick with anticipation and anxiety. 313 00:18:48,877 --> 00:18:50,420 It felt like the Finals. 314 00:18:50,503 --> 00:18:53,923 Oh, boy. Listen to the reaction here at Market Square Arena 315 00:18:54,007 --> 00:18:55,633 as Michael took the court. 316 00:18:55,717 --> 00:18:59,387 It was an emotional moment. There he was. He was back. 317 00:19:00,013 --> 00:19:05,268 Twenty-one months after his last appearance in an NBA game, 318 00:19:05,351 --> 00:19:09,981 Michael Jordan has returned and he's wearing number 45. 319 00:19:11,065 --> 00:19:12,692 I didn't want to go with 23 320 00:19:12,775 --> 00:19:15,111 because I knew my father wasn't there to watch me, 321 00:19:15,194 --> 00:19:17,447 and I felt it was a new beginning. 322 00:19:17,989 --> 00:19:20,783 And 45 was my first number when I played in high school. 323 00:19:22,035 --> 00:19:25,496 The much-heralded return of superstar Michael Jordan 324 00:19:25,580 --> 00:19:26,998 got off to a rocky start. 325 00:19:27,081 --> 00:19:31,252 His shooting touch was missing, and his shorts were on backwards. 326 00:19:32,670 --> 00:19:36,591 He struggled, trying to shake off the rust, and it showed. 327 00:19:36,674 --> 00:19:40,261 Michael, outside, inside, couldn't get it to go. 328 00:19:40,345 --> 00:19:43,890 Then the patented drive. Rik Smits gets a piece of it. 329 00:19:43,973 --> 00:19:45,975 Michael, 0-for-6 from the floor. 330 00:19:46,059 --> 00:19:48,311 Then the old Jordan would finally emerge. 331 00:19:48,394 --> 00:19:52,148 MJ, the steal from Rik Smits, and takes it the distance. 332 00:19:53,274 --> 00:19:56,361 The Pacers would get the last word, and they look to Reggie Miller. 333 00:19:58,988 --> 00:20:02,700 Not quite a Disney ending for Michael Jordan, but he's back. 334 00:20:05,870 --> 00:20:08,122 Being away from the game that long, 335 00:20:08,206 --> 00:20:11,167 and just how much the body had changed, 336 00:20:11,250 --> 00:20:13,795 I was very unsure... 337 00:20:15,213 --> 00:20:16,798 that he could perform 338 00:20:17,548 --> 00:20:22,387 at the level that he's accustomed to performing on a regular basis. 339 00:20:24,180 --> 00:20:28,935 That just added more pressure to prove he's still Michael Jordan, 340 00:20:30,311 --> 00:20:34,148 and that was part of his greatness, was never being satisfied. 341 00:20:35,692 --> 00:20:38,861 The inbound to Michael. Racing the clock. 342 00:20:40,655 --> 00:20:42,073 Jordan for the win... 343 00:20:42,156 --> 00:20:43,366 Yes! 344 00:20:43,449 --> 00:20:45,243 He is now back! 345 00:20:45,952 --> 00:20:49,747 Holy mackerel! And it was vintage Jordan. 346 00:20:50,415 --> 00:20:53,167 When he came back, we were full power again. 347 00:20:53,251 --> 00:20:54,585 Yeah, we were off and running. 348 00:20:54,669 --> 00:20:58,214 Well, the big star plays a big city, and that makes for very big news. 349 00:20:58,297 --> 00:21:01,384 The Michael Jordan comeback tour sets down at Madison Square Garden. 350 00:21:01,467 --> 00:21:02,969 Tip-off in about 90 minutes. 351 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:14,022 Anybody who was everybody, or everybody who was anybody, 352 00:21:14,105 --> 00:21:17,316 on hand to watch Michael's return to the Garden. 353 00:21:17,900 --> 00:21:19,694 They would not be disappointed. 354 00:21:20,820 --> 00:21:24,032 Jordan... 15-footer. Look out! 355 00:21:24,115 --> 00:21:28,161 Jordan is 2-for-2 to start this game. 356 00:21:28,244 --> 00:21:30,329 Double team, Oakley gets there. Too late! 357 00:21:30,413 --> 00:21:33,374 Michael is four of five. 358 00:21:34,917 --> 00:21:38,254 Jordan... starts out on fire. 359 00:21:39,630 --> 00:21:43,259 After that long layoff, he was able to come back 360 00:21:43,342 --> 00:21:45,720 and have one of his best games in the Garden. 361 00:21:50,433 --> 00:21:54,896 It's unfortunate because I think I had a great game that game as well, 362 00:21:54,979 --> 00:21:57,023 but no one remembers that. 363 00:21:57,106 --> 00:21:59,442 Fourteen ticks left, tie game. 364 00:21:59,525 --> 00:22:01,569 Jordan. You've gotta double team him. 365 00:22:04,864 --> 00:22:06,157 Wennington! 366 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:10,119 He made a pass when he had to. Bulls win. He's back. 367 00:22:10,203 --> 00:22:13,206 Jordan scores 55 in just his fifth game back. 368 00:22:14,624 --> 00:22:19,003 When he came back and he scored 55 in the Garden, 369 00:22:19,796 --> 00:22:21,547 I'm thinking, "Oh, man, 370 00:22:22,548 --> 00:22:25,760 it's gonna be crazy if we meet them in the playoffs." 371 00:22:30,389 --> 00:22:34,352 We're set for game one of the Eastern Conference Semifinals series 372 00:22:34,435 --> 00:22:35,812 between the Bulls and the Magic. 373 00:22:35,895 --> 00:22:38,731 I felt great about that year. 374 00:22:39,565 --> 00:22:44,153 We had some very good young players in Shaquille O'Neal... 375 00:22:44,237 --> 00:22:46,114 Nice move by Shaquille. 376 00:22:46,739 --> 00:22:47,841 Penny Hardaway... 377 00:22:47,865 --> 00:22:49,968 Hardaway, down the lane to hammer it home. 378 00:22:49,992 --> 00:22:51,035 Nick Anderson. 379 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:53,454 Shawn Bradley. He'll challenge him into the hole! 380 00:22:53,538 --> 00:22:57,500 I knew Michael. He was still working himself back into condition. 381 00:23:01,462 --> 00:23:05,633 Horace Grant, the one-time Chicago Bull, able to control. 382 00:23:05,716 --> 00:23:08,719 All the world's a stage when your name is Michael Jordan, 383 00:23:08,803 --> 00:23:11,389 so the spotlight that shines brightly on your triumphs 384 00:23:11,472 --> 00:23:13,224 also burns intensely on your mistakes. 385 00:23:13,307 --> 00:23:16,602 On Sunday in Orlando, Jordan had more than a bit-part 386 00:23:16,686 --> 00:23:19,772 during the closing scene in game one, fourth quarter. 387 00:23:20,398 --> 00:23:23,734 Bulls up 91-90. 22 seconds to go. 388 00:23:24,777 --> 00:23:28,906 So the Bulls up one. Michael's got the ball in his hands. 389 00:23:28,990 --> 00:23:29,990 Not any longer. 390 00:23:30,032 --> 00:23:34,912 Penny to the former Bull, Horace Grant. Magic up by one. 391 00:23:40,668 --> 00:23:42,879 When Michael came back from playing baseball, 392 00:23:42,962 --> 00:23:45,006 and Nick Anderson stole his rock, 393 00:23:45,089 --> 00:23:46,465 the reason that stood out, 394 00:23:46,549 --> 00:23:49,385 you hadn't seen anybody take Michael's rock in a long time. 395 00:23:50,553 --> 00:23:55,224 It's like watching Muhammad Ali in the second half of his career 396 00:23:55,308 --> 00:23:57,435 when someone lands a punch on him. 397 00:23:57,518 --> 00:23:59,979 It's like, "You mean, you can hit this guy?" 398 00:24:03,649 --> 00:24:05,735 Jordan still had a chance to deliver 399 00:24:05,818 --> 00:24:07,778 one of his patented buzzer-beaters, 400 00:24:07,862 --> 00:24:09,572 but instead he threw it away. 401 00:24:09,655 --> 00:24:11,866 He dropped it out of bounds! 402 00:24:12,408 --> 00:24:15,411 This just in: Michael Jordan is human. 403 00:24:15,494 --> 00:24:18,623 In crunch time, gives up a steal, throws the ball away, Bulls lose. 404 00:24:19,999 --> 00:24:25,463 After the game, Nick Anderson said, "45 isn't 23." 405 00:24:26,672 --> 00:24:27,924 Oh, man. 406 00:24:29,258 --> 00:24:31,427 Obviously, Jordan is superstitious. 407 00:24:31,510 --> 00:24:35,181 45 is in mothballs. 23 is back. 408 00:24:36,474 --> 00:24:38,851 I just felt like 45 wasn't natural. 409 00:24:38,935 --> 00:24:41,979 I wanted to go back to the feeling I had with 23. 410 00:24:43,397 --> 00:24:45,816 When we met them in the next game... 411 00:24:47,318 --> 00:24:48,819 MJ just went off. 412 00:24:49,487 --> 00:24:51,697 Pippen... finds Michael. 413 00:24:52,406 --> 00:24:53,616 The pull up. 414 00:24:53,699 --> 00:24:54,951 It's down for a three. 415 00:24:55,034 --> 00:24:57,495 That first quick step, that jump stop, 416 00:24:57,578 --> 00:24:59,163 the lean-in, that's a tough shot. 417 00:24:59,247 --> 00:25:01,749 Averaged 11 field goals attempts during the regular season. 418 00:25:01,832 --> 00:25:04,085 Jordan with the block on O'Neal! 419 00:25:04,168 --> 00:25:05,294 Oh, baby! 420 00:25:05,378 --> 00:25:08,547 Bulls back. Jordan looking to go to the basket. 421 00:25:09,507 --> 00:25:10,967 How about... On cue. 422 00:25:11,050 --> 00:25:12,093 That's a big play! 423 00:25:12,176 --> 00:25:15,638 Oh, my! Scott had it blocked by Jordan. Over the back. 424 00:25:15,721 --> 00:25:16,973 This could be entertaining. 425 00:25:18,557 --> 00:25:20,935 Chicago gets the win 104-94. 426 00:25:21,018 --> 00:25:27,108 Jordan un-retires number 23, shocks the world. Bulls win game two. 427 00:25:27,650 --> 00:25:30,278 The Bulls pulled even with the Magic, 428 00:25:30,361 --> 00:25:33,739 but does Jordan have the legs to last throughout the playoffs? 429 00:25:33,823 --> 00:25:35,491 He was not 100% of himself. 430 00:25:35,574 --> 00:25:38,911 That year, he was 80-something percent of himself. 431 00:25:38,995 --> 00:25:41,580 You're looking at an exhausted Jordan. 432 00:25:41,664 --> 00:25:43,464 Obviously, he's not in great shape. 433 00:25:43,541 --> 00:25:47,003 He's in "I've been playing baseball for 21 months" shape. 434 00:25:47,086 --> 00:25:50,006 He didn't have time to get his legs underneath him, 435 00:25:50,089 --> 00:25:53,551 and that was reflected in some of the postseason games that year. 436 00:25:53,634 --> 00:25:55,636 The Magic are one win away 437 00:25:55,720 --> 00:26:00,016 from eliminating Michael Jordan and the Bulls from the playoffs. 438 00:26:00,099 --> 00:26:02,518 There are a couple of things wrong with Chicago right now. 439 00:26:02,601 --> 00:26:05,062 They didn't have Michael for the course of the season 440 00:26:05,146 --> 00:26:08,816 so while other players are in great shape and can go game in and game out, 441 00:26:08,899 --> 00:26:12,570 Michael has not been able to sustain the effort over the course of a game. 442 00:26:13,404 --> 00:26:17,533 Looking back, I didn't have enough time to prepare my body for basketball. 443 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:20,870 So I was a little nervous going into that playoff. 444 00:26:21,871 --> 00:26:24,248 As the Bulls teeter on the brink of elimination, 445 00:26:24,332 --> 00:26:27,460 tonight, the Magic will try to give them a little push. 446 00:26:27,543 --> 00:26:29,795 It is a one-point Bulls lead. 447 00:26:29,879 --> 00:26:33,758 Orlando has reeled off seven straight points. 448 00:26:33,841 --> 00:26:36,344 Tough shot by Michael. Air ball. 449 00:26:36,427 --> 00:26:38,763 A chance for Orlando to take the lead. 450 00:26:38,846 --> 00:26:42,308 I don't remember seeing Michael Jordan this tired. 451 00:26:42,391 --> 00:26:43,893 This is unbelievable. 452 00:26:43,976 --> 00:26:45,519 Eight seconds on the shot clock. 453 00:26:45,603 --> 00:26:47,688 Let Anderson go against Kukoc. 454 00:26:47,772 --> 00:26:49,732 - Take him to the basket. - Five. 455 00:26:50,566 --> 00:26:53,402 Oh, my goodness! What a shot by Nick Anderson! 456 00:26:55,279 --> 00:26:57,907 It's all over. The Bulls season comes to an end. 457 00:26:57,990 --> 00:27:02,203 Here at the United Center, the Orlando Magic gets the victory. 458 00:27:04,038 --> 00:27:06,040 Look at Horace, they're booing him, 459 00:27:06,123 --> 00:27:07,625 but he's up on their shoulders, Bob. 460 00:27:09,293 --> 00:27:11,213 That was one of Michael's lowest points, 461 00:27:11,295 --> 00:27:13,381 is when he came back and they didn't win. 462 00:27:14,340 --> 00:27:17,176 He hated the fact that Horace was on the other team when they beat him. 463 00:27:17,301 --> 00:27:21,889 And just to watch all the celebrating that they were doing, 464 00:27:22,515 --> 00:27:25,017 I think that's what he took to heart. 465 00:27:26,102 --> 00:27:29,605 He used that for that next year. 466 00:27:31,524 --> 00:27:33,067 After the season, 467 00:27:33,150 --> 00:27:38,322 usually there's a time period where Michael takes some time off. 468 00:27:39,865 --> 00:27:42,201 The night they lost to Orlando, 469 00:27:42,284 --> 00:27:45,371 I said, "Michael, you know, I'm about to get out of here. 470 00:27:45,454 --> 00:27:47,248 Let me know when you want me to see you." 471 00:27:47,748 --> 00:27:49,417 He goes, "I'll see you tomorrow." 472 00:27:52,503 --> 00:27:56,757 Michael had an obligation to himself, the fans, 473 00:27:56,841 --> 00:28:01,095 his teammates, the organization, his family. 474 00:28:01,178 --> 00:28:02,096 Everybody. 475 00:28:02,097 --> 00:28:06,851 He said, "If you're going to sit down and take three hours out of your day... 476 00:28:09,103 --> 00:28:10,604 to watch me on TV, 477 00:28:11,730 --> 00:28:15,401 I have an obligation to give you my best. 478 00:28:18,571 --> 00:28:20,990 To give you my best, all the time." 479 00:28:31,834 --> 00:28:32,960 And action! 480 00:28:38,174 --> 00:28:39,090 Cut! 481 00:28:39,091 --> 00:28:43,721 The summer after Michael came back, he was filming the movie Space Jam. 482 00:28:44,221 --> 00:28:47,933 NBA superstar Michael Jordan starts filming his movie this summer 483 00:28:48,017 --> 00:28:50,227 with longtime screen veteran Bugs Bunny. 484 00:28:50,311 --> 00:28:53,063 Really, this is the truth. The movie's called Space Jam. 485 00:28:53,147 --> 00:28:57,735 Here's the premise. A bunch of aliens wanna kidnap Bugs. 486 00:28:57,818 --> 00:29:02,198 Soon, there's a basketball game and Michael Jordan joins the team. 487 00:29:02,281 --> 00:29:05,326 He knew that Space Jam was not as important 488 00:29:05,409 --> 00:29:08,746 as getting back and playing basketball at the level he wanted to play at. 489 00:29:09,330 --> 00:29:12,166 And while they were filming, he went back to work. 490 00:29:13,042 --> 00:29:17,421 I said, "Look, I need to practice. I need a facility where I can work out." 491 00:29:17,505 --> 00:29:20,090 "Don't worry about it. We'll build you that." 492 00:29:20,799 --> 00:29:24,678 Sure enough, when we came out there to do the film, it was all set up. 493 00:29:25,429 --> 00:29:26,931 We had the Jordan Dome. 494 00:29:27,014 --> 00:29:29,975 It was like a professional facility. Fabulous. 495 00:29:30,059 --> 00:29:32,853 Beautiful floor, big dome, weights. 496 00:29:33,521 --> 00:29:35,356 Grover was there, his workout guy. 497 00:29:36,649 --> 00:29:40,528 The days would be Monday through Saturday. 498 00:29:40,611 --> 00:29:41,987 We start off at 7:00. 499 00:29:44,448 --> 00:29:48,536 I would get a two-hour break and I would go work out with Tim. 500 00:29:49,912 --> 00:29:51,664 I had a whole program designed up, 501 00:29:51,747 --> 00:29:54,708 working all the muscles for going back to basketball. 502 00:29:55,376 --> 00:29:59,046 I spent 15 months turning my body into a baseball body. 503 00:29:59,588 --> 00:30:02,675 Basketball is a little bit more shoulders, chest. 504 00:30:02,758 --> 00:30:06,345 So I had to reconstruct my whole body, which was hard. 505 00:30:08,305 --> 00:30:12,393 And then after we finish, usually around 7:00, 506 00:30:13,227 --> 00:30:15,813 we would invite people and we'd play pick-up games. 507 00:30:19,441 --> 00:30:21,443 We had the idea if we invited 508 00:30:21,527 --> 00:30:24,738 the best players in the league out here, 509 00:30:24,822 --> 00:30:29,243 he would get a chance to see everybody before the season started, 510 00:30:29,326 --> 00:30:31,453 and then it became, like, a thing. 511 00:30:31,537 --> 00:30:33,664 Everyone had to come out to Warner Bros. Studio 512 00:30:33,747 --> 00:30:34,915 to play against Michael. 513 00:30:37,793 --> 00:30:41,088 And this was an opportunity for him to see everybody 514 00:30:41,171 --> 00:30:42,881 and we would do scouting reports. 515 00:30:43,841 --> 00:30:46,635 This is what Chris Mullin and Reggie Miller would do. 516 00:30:46,719 --> 00:30:48,012 We got Reggie Miller. 517 00:30:48,971 --> 00:30:51,098 Patrick Ewing today. Shawn Bradley. 518 00:30:52,308 --> 00:30:54,268 It was some of the best games. 519 00:30:54,351 --> 00:30:57,730 There was no officials. You're calling your own fouls. 520 00:30:57,813 --> 00:31:00,858 So it was a little bit more rugged and raw. 521 00:31:03,736 --> 00:31:05,029 I don't know how he did it. 522 00:31:05,571 --> 00:31:07,281 I don't know how he filmed all day... 523 00:31:07,906 --> 00:31:10,993 and then still had the energy to play three hours. 524 00:31:11,660 --> 00:31:14,580 I mean, we would play until 9:00 or 10:00 at night. 525 00:31:15,122 --> 00:31:16,874 He still had to get weightlifting in, 526 00:31:16,957 --> 00:31:19,627 and then his call time was at 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning 527 00:31:19,710 --> 00:31:22,796 so I don't know how... This dude was like a vampire. For real. 528 00:31:27,092 --> 00:31:30,220 Playing against young talent, they were full of energy 529 00:31:30,304 --> 00:31:33,349 and I had to help excel my talent, get my talents back. 530 00:31:39,897 --> 00:31:42,900 Honestly, one of the best things that could have possibly happened, 531 00:31:42,983 --> 00:31:44,568 as much as everyone hates losing, 532 00:31:44,652 --> 00:31:48,322 is that we lost to Orlando because Michael came back with a vengeance. 533 00:31:51,325 --> 00:31:54,745 When Michael came back, it was a new team. 534 00:31:55,329 --> 00:31:59,541 Scottie was the only one still there from the first championship team. 535 00:32:00,084 --> 00:32:01,877 Michael hadn't played with Luc Longley yet. 536 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:04,338 He hadn't played with Jud Buechler and Steve Kerr yet, 537 00:32:04,421 --> 00:32:06,340 and Bill Wennington and all those guys. 538 00:32:07,216 --> 00:32:09,927 That preseason training camp was unbelievable. 539 00:32:10,010 --> 00:32:11,512 You could tell he was on a mission. 540 00:32:12,054 --> 00:32:15,849 By the time camp started, he was in incredible shape, 541 00:32:15,933 --> 00:32:18,435 but he was also frothing at the mouth. 542 00:32:19,019 --> 00:32:21,605 That's how angry he was from losing. 543 00:32:22,147 --> 00:32:24,733 So every day at training camp was just a war, 544 00:32:24,817 --> 00:32:28,445 every day was a battle and he talked a lot of shit. 545 00:32:28,529 --> 00:32:31,573 I wanted them to understand what it felt like to be in the trenches. 546 00:32:32,199 --> 00:32:35,452 If you don't understand, then you're not going to respond when the war starts. 547 00:32:36,161 --> 00:32:39,331 Steve and Luc, all those guys, 548 00:32:39,415 --> 00:32:44,128 they come in riding high on the three championships that we won in '91, '92... 549 00:32:44,211 --> 00:32:47,631 And they had no fucking, you know... Anything to do with it. 550 00:32:47,715 --> 00:32:50,300 But yet now they play for the Bulls and they... 551 00:32:50,384 --> 00:32:52,094 No, dude, it's... It's... 552 00:32:52,177 --> 00:32:54,179 We were shit when I got there 553 00:32:54,263 --> 00:32:57,474 and we got to elevate to being a championship-quality team. 554 00:32:57,558 --> 00:33:00,102 There's certain standards that you have to live by. 555 00:33:00,185 --> 00:33:01,812 You don't come pussyfooting around. 556 00:33:01,895 --> 00:33:03,856 You don't come in joking and kidding around. 557 00:33:03,939 --> 00:33:05,774 You gotta come in ready to play. 558 00:33:07,234 --> 00:33:12,322 So, one day at practice, Phil put Steve Kerr guarding me. 559 00:33:12,906 --> 00:33:17,453 We're on opposite sides in a scrimmage and he's talking all kinds of trash 560 00:33:17,536 --> 00:33:20,831 and I'm pissed because, you know, we're getting our ass kicked. 561 00:33:21,415 --> 00:33:25,210 Phil sensed my aggression, but he was trying to tone me down 562 00:33:25,294 --> 00:33:28,005 and he starts calling these ticky-tack fouls. 563 00:33:28,839 --> 00:33:31,925 I'm getting mad because, for you to be protecting this guy, 564 00:33:32,009 --> 00:33:34,428 that's not gonna help us when we play New York, 565 00:33:34,511 --> 00:33:37,973 it's not going to help us when we play these teams that are very physical. 566 00:33:38,056 --> 00:33:41,268 Next time he did it, I just hauled off and fucking... I said... 567 00:33:41,351 --> 00:33:44,021 When I fouled Steve Kerr, I said, "Now that's a fucking foul." 568 00:33:44,104 --> 00:33:47,399 I have a lot of patience as a human being, 569 00:33:47,483 --> 00:33:52,112 but I tend to snap at some point because I'm extremely competitive too. 570 00:33:52,196 --> 00:33:55,866 Just not really good enough to back it up, usually, but I'm going. 571 00:33:55,949 --> 00:33:57,743 I'm going. I'm gonna fight. 572 00:33:57,826 --> 00:34:00,162 He hauls off and hits me in the chest 573 00:34:00,245 --> 00:34:03,165 and I just haul off and hit him right in the fucking eye. 574 00:34:04,291 --> 00:34:06,293 And Phil just throws me out of practice. 575 00:34:07,377 --> 00:34:11,256 So I go down to the locker room and Michael says, 576 00:34:12,508 --> 00:34:13,508 "I know. 577 00:34:15,219 --> 00:34:17,304 You know, I lost it for a second." 578 00:34:17,387 --> 00:34:18,430 I'm in the shower and say, 579 00:34:18,514 --> 00:34:20,849 "I just beat up the littlest guy on the court," 580 00:34:20,933 --> 00:34:22,643 and I felt about this small. 581 00:34:23,310 --> 00:34:26,313 So when I get in the car, you know, I called... 582 00:34:26,396 --> 00:34:29,900 Went back to the Berto Center and said, "Please give me Steve Kerr's number." 583 00:34:29,983 --> 00:34:31,777 I called Steve and I apologized. 584 00:34:31,860 --> 00:34:33,987 "Look, man, it had nothing to do with you." 585 00:34:34,530 --> 00:34:36,323 You know, "I feel bad." 586 00:34:36,907 --> 00:34:41,495 We talked it out and it was probably, in a weird way, 587 00:34:41,578 --> 00:34:46,333 the best thing that I ever did, was stand up for myself with him, 588 00:34:47,209 --> 00:34:50,921 because he tested everybody he played with and I stood up to him. 589 00:34:51,004 --> 00:34:54,716 He earned my respect because he wasn't willing to back down 590 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:57,678 to be a pawn in this whole process. 591 00:34:57,761 --> 00:35:02,182 From that point on, our relationship dramatically improved, 592 00:35:02,266 --> 00:35:04,351 and our trust in each other, everything. 593 00:35:04,434 --> 00:35:06,603 It was like, "All right, we got that out of the way. 594 00:35:06,687 --> 00:35:07,855 We're going to war together." 595 00:35:09,523 --> 00:35:13,402 And that season has to be the best team I've ever been a part of. 596 00:35:13,944 --> 00:35:16,989 Dennis Rodman had just arrived in Chicago. 597 00:35:17,072 --> 00:35:18,574 Dominant defensive player. 598 00:35:19,241 --> 00:35:21,702 He was a new character, but I knew Dennis, 599 00:35:21,785 --> 00:35:23,996 and I knew what he could do basketball-wise. 600 00:35:38,594 --> 00:35:41,847 That year, they were on it from the jump. 601 00:35:44,558 --> 00:35:46,101 Look out! 602 00:35:46,184 --> 00:35:48,520 Rodman has restored the rebounding presence 603 00:35:48,604 --> 00:35:51,273 that disappeared when Horace Grant left for Orlando. 604 00:35:51,356 --> 00:35:52,941 I loved it in Chicago. 605 00:35:53,025 --> 00:35:53,941 I loved it. 606 00:35:53,942 --> 00:35:56,404 Michael's Michael, Scottie's Scottie, Dennis is Dennis. 607 00:35:56,486 --> 00:35:57,487 So it was, like, great. 608 00:35:57,571 --> 00:35:59,865 When we come together, we feed off each other. 609 00:36:02,826 --> 00:36:04,411 Michael can count on me and vice-versa. 610 00:36:04,494 --> 00:36:06,872 blocked by Dennis Rodman. 611 00:36:06,955 --> 00:36:08,123 What a great play. 612 00:36:09,291 --> 00:36:14,087 The Bulls rattled off an amazing 23 wins in their first 25 games 613 00:36:14,838 --> 00:36:18,842 and it became apparent this team had a shot to be the greatest of all time. 614 00:36:19,676 --> 00:36:22,012 The Bulls have been superb. 615 00:36:22,095 --> 00:36:23,775 Everybody knew we were witnessing 616 00:36:23,847 --> 00:36:26,224 the best season in NBA history to that point. 617 00:36:32,105 --> 00:36:34,316 I'm sitting on a plane with Steve and Scottie. 618 00:36:34,399 --> 00:36:36,693 We're looking at the schedule and Scottie's like, 619 00:36:36,777 --> 00:36:41,114 "Hmm, wow, I don't think we're going to lose a game for three months." 620 00:36:41,740 --> 00:36:44,076 The Bulls are trying to break the record 621 00:36:44,159 --> 00:36:45,619 for most wins in a single season. 622 00:36:45,702 --> 00:36:49,581 The team they are trying to beat for that is the '71-'72 Lakers team. 623 00:36:49,665 --> 00:36:53,043 And that team had 69 wins and 13 losses for the year. 624 00:36:53,126 --> 00:36:54,628 Well, if the Bulls win 70 tonight, 625 00:36:54,711 --> 00:36:57,965 they go down in history as possibly the best team of all time. 626 00:36:58,715 --> 00:37:03,387 There it is! Seventy has become a reality for the Chicago Bulls. 627 00:37:04,262 --> 00:37:08,141 The Chicago Bulls tonight have made history. 628 00:37:08,976 --> 00:37:12,854 The debate will now rage about whether they are the best team ever. 629 00:37:19,861 --> 00:37:22,030 This year's Chicago Bulls squad 630 00:37:22,114 --> 00:37:24,825 just may go down as the greatest team of all time. 631 00:37:25,409 --> 00:37:28,203 The Bulls finished the season with a record of 72 and 10, 632 00:37:28,286 --> 00:37:31,540 but they said, "It don't mean a thing without the ring." 633 00:37:34,001 --> 00:37:37,254 This one's in the books. Chicago goes to the second round. 634 00:37:38,046 --> 00:37:40,549 Phil Jackson, the NBA Coach of the Year, 635 00:37:40,632 --> 00:37:43,760 has his team in the Eastern Conference Finals. 636 00:37:44,344 --> 00:37:47,681 If you know MJ, as I do very well, 637 00:37:47,764 --> 00:37:50,559 only thing he was doing during the summer 638 00:37:51,435 --> 00:37:54,187 is having Orlando Magic on his mind. That's all. 639 00:37:55,480 --> 00:37:59,651 Today's game one of the Eastern Conference Finals 640 00:37:59,735 --> 00:38:05,323 is between the Orlando Magic and your Chicago Bulls! 641 00:38:06,116 --> 00:38:07,576 They needed a rebounder. 642 00:38:08,577 --> 00:38:09,953 They needed a defensive stopper. 643 00:38:10,037 --> 00:38:11,997 Rodman with his ninth rebound. 644 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:13,331 That's what Dennis did. 645 00:38:13,415 --> 00:38:16,668 Pass to Pippen. Scottie Pippen goes all the way. 646 00:38:17,794 --> 00:38:19,463 We didn't have a chance. 647 00:38:19,546 --> 00:38:22,549 The Bulls have swept the Magic. 648 00:38:22,632 --> 00:38:25,594 Jordan finishes with 45 points. 649 00:38:25,677 --> 00:38:29,306 The Bulls do it 106-101 650 00:38:30,557 --> 00:38:33,185 as the Orlando Magic have been swept. 651 00:38:33,268 --> 00:38:36,271 Was it extra sweet beating Orlando for you? 652 00:38:36,354 --> 00:38:39,816 That had been a motivating thing for you for over a year now. 653 00:38:39,900 --> 00:38:42,027 Because of last year and the number change, 654 00:38:42,110 --> 00:38:45,781 and 45 didn't look like 23 and, you know, whatever, but... 655 00:38:46,323 --> 00:38:48,617 we all were disappointed last year. 656 00:38:48,700 --> 00:38:53,705 We came back to redeem ourselves as a unit and I think we did that effectively. 657 00:39:01,755 --> 00:39:04,674 From the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, 658 00:39:04,758 --> 00:39:07,594 welcome to the 1996 NBA Finals. 659 00:39:07,677 --> 00:39:09,888 - Go Bulls! Number one! - Yeah! 660 00:39:09,971 --> 00:39:12,099 Bulls-Seattle program! Playoff program! 661 00:39:12,182 --> 00:39:15,519 Hi, everybody. I'm Bob Costas and welcome to these NBA Finals 662 00:39:15,602 --> 00:39:20,524 with due respect to Seattle SuperSonics and apologies to their fans, 663 00:39:20,607 --> 00:39:24,152 the prevailing attitude in Chicago, and for most of the country really, 664 00:39:24,236 --> 00:39:30,033 is that these NBA Finals loom not so much as a competition, as a coronation. 665 00:39:30,117 --> 00:39:34,496 This is viewed as the greatest mismatch in NBA Finals history. 666 00:39:38,959 --> 00:39:43,213 That team was a good team. They won 72 games. 667 00:39:44,339 --> 00:39:47,050 But we was a pretty goddamn good team too. 668 00:39:47,801 --> 00:39:50,053 And we had beat them in the regular season. 669 00:39:50,137 --> 00:39:51,638 During the regular season, 670 00:39:51,721 --> 00:39:55,517 that '96 Seattle team had been the best team in the Western Conference. 671 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:59,396 They had Gary Payton, a great point guard, all-defensive player. 672 00:39:59,479 --> 00:40:00,772 Steal by Payton. 673 00:40:00,856 --> 00:40:03,400 They call him The Glove, he's such a good defender. 674 00:40:03,483 --> 00:40:06,361 He had a great alley-oop partner in Shawn Kemp. 675 00:40:06,444 --> 00:40:08,655 He will go to get it with the right hand! 676 00:40:08,738 --> 00:40:11,158 They had a good coach in George Karl. 677 00:40:11,658 --> 00:40:13,118 - Let's go! - Kick their ass 678 00:40:13,201 --> 00:40:14,828 and be proud of what you've done. 679 00:40:14,911 --> 00:40:16,848 - Now go out there and be big. - Let's go. 680 00:40:17,914 --> 00:40:19,749 - Go! - Sonics! 681 00:40:25,422 --> 00:40:27,841 During the Finals, we go out to dinner one night. 682 00:40:28,675 --> 00:40:30,844 George Karl's having dinner on the other side. 683 00:40:30,927 --> 00:40:32,888 "Hey, it's George Karl over there." 684 00:40:32,971 --> 00:40:35,891 And George Karl does not come over and speak to him. 685 00:40:35,974 --> 00:40:37,642 He walked right past me. 686 00:40:38,310 --> 00:40:41,646 I look at him, I say, "Really? So that's how you're gonna play it." 687 00:40:41,730 --> 00:40:45,317 He just kind of went by and I went, "Uh-oh. Should have never done that." 688 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:46,776 I said, "That's a crock of shit." 689 00:40:46,860 --> 00:40:51,156 We went to Carolina, we know Dean Smith, I've seen him in the summer, we play golf. 690 00:40:51,239 --> 00:40:52,699 "You gonna do this? Fine." 691 00:40:53,283 --> 00:40:54,326 That's all I needed. 692 00:40:54,951 --> 00:40:58,580 That's all I needed for him to do that and it became personal with me. 693 00:41:00,165 --> 00:41:02,250 Jordan's being guarded by Wingate. 694 00:41:03,001 --> 00:41:04,169 Jordan... 695 00:41:05,754 --> 00:41:07,422 Jordan... Yes! 696 00:41:07,505 --> 00:41:09,945 That's just an impossible matchup for Douglas. 697 00:41:10,008 --> 00:41:14,012 He's always finding some place to find something to get him all fired up. 698 00:41:14,095 --> 00:41:16,765 Now Jordan going against Payton. 699 00:41:17,849 --> 00:41:18,934 Goes to the fadeaway. 700 00:41:20,727 --> 00:41:23,563 He wanted that shot. He wanted Gary Payton. 701 00:41:23,647 --> 00:41:26,733 As soon as he had him one-on-one, he waved everybody out of there... 702 00:41:27,567 --> 00:41:30,445 He used that for every single game. 703 00:41:30,528 --> 00:41:32,989 "I'm gonna show him. He won't come and speak to me?" 704 00:41:33,573 --> 00:41:36,993 The Bulls over the Sonics 92-88. 705 00:41:43,375 --> 00:41:45,001 Here is Jordan for three. 706 00:41:46,378 --> 00:41:50,090 Game three, 108-86. 707 00:41:52,550 --> 00:41:54,970 The first three games, Mike ripped us. 708 00:41:55,053 --> 00:41:57,430 Ripped a hole in us, ripped a hole in our ass, really. 709 00:41:58,974 --> 00:42:00,976 The Sonics lose the first three, 710 00:42:01,059 --> 00:42:04,062 but George Karl didn't play his best card, 711 00:42:04,145 --> 00:42:06,106 which was putting Payton on Jordan. 712 00:42:06,189 --> 00:42:09,818 I had just won Defensive Player of the Year, made All-League. 713 00:42:11,152 --> 00:42:13,530 But me and George had a meeting. 714 00:42:13,613 --> 00:42:15,907 He said, "I don't care about your defense right now. 715 00:42:15,991 --> 00:42:17,158 I know you can do that." 716 00:42:17,242 --> 00:42:18,660 He said, "I need you to score." 717 00:42:18,743 --> 00:42:22,747 So, he didn't want to sacrifice me on both ends of the floor, 718 00:42:22,831 --> 00:42:24,833 but we got down 3-0. 719 00:42:24,916 --> 00:42:25,834 I was mad. 720 00:42:25,835 --> 00:42:27,919 I said, "Fuck what you're talking about, George. 721 00:42:28,003 --> 00:42:29,462 I'm guarding, whatever you say." 722 00:42:29,546 --> 00:42:31,673 I said, "You can't control this no more." 723 00:42:31,756 --> 00:42:33,596 Lots of changes for the SuperSonics. 724 00:42:33,633 --> 00:42:35,552 Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton 725 00:42:35,635 --> 00:42:37,470 will start the game guarding Jordan. 726 00:42:37,554 --> 00:42:40,807 That's the matchup many have wanted to see this entire series. 727 00:42:40,890 --> 00:42:43,351 Jordan is not like he used to be. 728 00:42:43,435 --> 00:42:46,229 You know, he got a little aged, he was off of basketball. 729 00:42:46,313 --> 00:42:50,233 I think, uh, my best bet is to really get him tired. 730 00:42:52,652 --> 00:42:54,362 The call against Chicago. 731 00:42:55,238 --> 00:42:58,408 Offensive foul on Michael Jordan. 732 00:42:58,491 --> 00:43:01,119 Gary really got into him, was talking shit to him too. 733 00:43:01,202 --> 00:43:04,039 Gary did about as good a job as you can expect guarding Michael. 734 00:43:04,122 --> 00:43:05,957 Fourth quarter. Here is Jordan. 735 00:43:07,167 --> 00:43:10,128 Whoa. It is one of those nights for Michael. 736 00:43:10,211 --> 00:43:14,507 He is now 6-for-19 from the field. 737 00:43:15,091 --> 00:43:17,552 The Sonics will not be swept. 738 00:43:18,428 --> 00:43:20,638 This will go to a fifth game. 739 00:43:21,723 --> 00:43:25,018 Oh, Jordan beat badly backdoor defensively. 740 00:43:25,101 --> 00:43:27,395 Everyone thought the Bulls were gonna sweep. 741 00:43:27,479 --> 00:43:30,899 The 72-10 season was going to be capped off by a sweep in the Finals. 742 00:43:30,982 --> 00:43:33,818 This was gonna be the greatest team. The Sonics said, "Not so fast." 743 00:43:33,902 --> 00:43:37,614 Payton feeling it. Nobody guarding, everybody backing off. 744 00:43:37,697 --> 00:43:39,074 Not afraid at all. 745 00:43:39,949 --> 00:43:41,951 And that'll do it. 746 00:43:42,619 --> 00:43:46,581 The Sonics with an 89-78 win over the Bulls. 747 00:43:47,123 --> 00:43:51,086 It's been a complete and remarkable turnaround for Seattle. 748 00:43:51,169 --> 00:43:54,339 Gary Payton outplayed Michael Jordan the last two games... 749 00:43:55,048 --> 00:43:56,925 A lot of people back down to Mike. 750 00:43:57,509 --> 00:43:58,467 I didn't. 751 00:43:58,468 --> 00:44:01,554 I made it a point. I said, "Just tire him out. 752 00:44:02,097 --> 00:44:04,933 Tire the fuck out of him. You just gotta tire him out." 753 00:44:05,016 --> 00:44:08,520 And I kept hittin' him and bangin' him and hittin' him and bangin' him. 754 00:44:08,603 --> 00:44:09,896 It took a toll on Mike. 755 00:44:09,979 --> 00:44:11,356 It took a toll and then... 756 00:44:11,439 --> 00:44:12,982 I feel so selfish. 757 00:44:13,566 --> 00:44:14,818 resting him a little bit. 758 00:44:14,901 --> 00:44:19,572 And then, the series changed and I wish I could've did it earlier. 759 00:44:19,656 --> 00:44:21,866 I don't know if the outcome would've been different, 760 00:44:21,950 --> 00:44:27,080 but it was a difference... and beating him down a little bit. 761 00:44:29,332 --> 00:44:30,332 The Glove. 762 00:44:31,835 --> 00:44:33,837 I had no problem with The Glove. 763 00:44:35,422 --> 00:44:37,882 I had no problem with Gary Payton. 764 00:44:38,466 --> 00:44:40,427 I had a lot of other things on my mind. 765 00:44:45,682 --> 00:44:48,893 Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, 766 00:44:48,977 --> 00:44:53,106 and a Happy Father's Day to dads all around the world. 767 00:44:53,189 --> 00:44:57,902 One of the main things I saw really that affected him was Father's Day. 768 00:45:00,196 --> 00:45:03,158 That championship game was on Father's Day. 769 00:45:06,453 --> 00:45:09,539 The importance of his father to him, it was huge. 770 00:45:10,832 --> 00:45:12,959 James was always there in those moments. 771 00:45:14,294 --> 00:45:18,173 If you see some of the highlights of Michael celebrating, where's his dad? 772 00:45:20,008 --> 00:45:21,008 Right next to him. 773 00:45:21,050 --> 00:45:22,760 His dad was always next to him 774 00:45:22,844 --> 00:45:27,098 so a piece of Michael's heart was missing. 775 00:45:31,978 --> 00:45:34,415 He thought back to when he won his first championship 776 00:45:34,439 --> 00:45:36,199 and he was crying on the Larry O'Brien Trophy 777 00:45:36,232 --> 00:45:38,485 and his father was right there over his shoulder. 778 00:45:38,568 --> 00:45:40,153 Now they're back in the Finals, 779 00:45:40,236 --> 00:45:42,989 and his father wasn't there to share it with him. 780 00:45:46,659 --> 00:45:49,787 The opening tip controlled by the Bulls. 781 00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:53,041 Michael Jordan. 782 00:45:53,917 --> 00:45:59,088 Yes! Well, he knew it on the release. He began to walk back down court. 783 00:46:00,757 --> 00:46:04,469 Scottie Pippen continues to play perfect basketball. 784 00:46:11,601 --> 00:46:13,019 Michael has always been 785 00:46:13,102 --> 00:46:15,438 pretty close to the vest with his feelings. 786 00:46:17,190 --> 00:46:20,652 He was holding it together for the entire family. 787 00:46:20,735 --> 00:46:24,072 He was so strong for the rest of us. 788 00:46:24,155 --> 00:46:27,116 He won't allow you to see the emptiness. 789 00:46:27,200 --> 00:46:31,037 He said, "Mom, I know he's there. He's watching. He sees." 790 00:46:33,957 --> 00:46:35,959 Seven-year-old Jeffrey Jordan 791 00:46:36,042 --> 00:46:38,670 holding up a Happy Father's Day sign. 792 00:46:40,296 --> 00:46:43,216 The Bulls have a 15-point lead. 793 00:46:46,344 --> 00:46:48,972 This has just become a clinic for Chicago. 794 00:46:49,055 --> 00:46:53,810 George Karl forced to call a timeout. Things falling apart for Seattle. 795 00:46:53,893 --> 00:46:56,187 87-75. 796 00:46:57,647 --> 00:46:59,023 We're in the final seconds. 797 00:46:59,566 --> 00:47:02,652 The Chicago Bulls have won 798 00:47:03,361 --> 00:47:08,491 the '95-'96 NBA Championship. 799 00:47:08,575 --> 00:47:11,411 Make it four in six years. 800 00:47:12,912 --> 00:47:15,623 Michael, I know that the first one was sweet, 801 00:47:15,707 --> 00:47:17,417 but how much sweeter was this one? 802 00:47:18,293 --> 00:47:21,170 Well, you know, I can't even put it in words. 803 00:47:21,921 --> 00:47:23,923 On Father's Day, what it means to me. 804 00:47:26,009 --> 00:47:27,260 I know he's watching. 805 00:47:27,802 --> 00:47:30,346 To my wife, and to my kids, to my mother, 806 00:47:30,430 --> 00:47:33,391 my brothers and sisters, this is for Daddy. 807 00:47:33,474 --> 00:47:35,018 I'm very happy right now. 808 00:48:06,716 --> 00:48:09,010 We're just over 40 minutes from the tip-off 809 00:48:09,093 --> 00:48:12,096 of the Eastern Conference Finals between Indiana and Chicago. 810 00:48:14,724 --> 00:48:16,809 Can the Pacers end the Jordan era? 811 00:48:16,893 --> 00:48:21,189 Such big-picture questions loom as the Conference Finals begin in Chicago. 812 00:48:21,939 --> 00:48:25,902 Could be another awe-inspiring exhibition, could be the end of an era. 813 00:48:26,486 --> 00:48:29,405 If the Jordan era is going to end, and one day it will, 814 00:48:29,489 --> 00:48:31,409 a loss to Indiana in the Eastern Conference Final 815 00:48:31,449 --> 00:48:33,769 in front of home folks is not what the Bulls might consider 816 00:48:33,826 --> 00:48:35,453 the most optimum way to wrap it up. 817 00:48:35,953 --> 00:48:38,456 Gotta get out of the box quick. Don't let them come in here... 818 00:48:46,756 --> 00:48:50,218 Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome once again to Bulls basketball, 819 00:48:50,301 --> 00:48:53,846 playoff basketball, as we move to the Eastern Conference Finals. 820 00:48:53,930 --> 00:48:55,723 The Bulls and the Indiana Pacers. 821 00:48:56,766 --> 00:49:01,187 We all looked at the Bulls as the standard model of success. 822 00:49:02,230 --> 00:49:07,235 They were considered the best at that time, but we felt... 823 00:49:07,318 --> 00:49:09,946 I feel to this day, we were the better team. 824 00:49:12,073 --> 00:49:14,200 The whole thing is, there was whispers 825 00:49:14,283 --> 00:49:16,744 that this was going to be Mike's last year. 826 00:49:17,787 --> 00:49:20,456 So, I think a perfect storm was brewing... 827 00:49:21,999 --> 00:49:25,795 and in my mind, I was thinking, "All right, this is it. 828 00:49:26,379 --> 00:49:28,047 You're going to retire Michael Jordan."