November 6, 1990: Michael Jordan Helps Jesse Helms Get Re-Elected

November 6, 1990: Jesse Helms is elected to a 4th term as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He did not deserve this, but he got it. There are several people to blame.

One of them is Michael Jordan.

Nike signed Jordan as an NBA rookie in 1984, thinking he would be the next NBA superstar. They were right: Despite an injury-plagued rookie season, his scoring and dunking made him the player ever kid who loved basketball wanted to be -- even though he went through his 1st 6 seasons without having reached the NBA Finals.

Although born in New York City -- on February 17, 1963, at Cumberland Hospital in Brooklyn, where boxer Mike Tyson would be born 3 years later -- Jordan lived in Wilmington, North Carolina from age 5 until he began studying and playing at the University of North Carolina in 1981. Despite having maintained a home in Chicago since his rookie year, he has always considered North Carolina his home State.

He had helped the University of North Carolina win the National Championship as a freshman in 1982, but, with his head coach having instituted his passing-first "Four Corners" offense, it became a joke among NBA fans that the only man who could hold Michael Jordan to under 20 points was Dean Smith.

Although from conservative Kansas, Smith was a Democrat, who had helped integrate the athletic program at UNC. So was Harvey Gantt, who, in 1963, became the 1st black student at Clemson University in South Carolina. The 2nd was Lucinda Brawley, who became Gantt's wife. An architect, he was elected to the City Council in Charlotte in 1973, and Mayor in 1982 and 1986. In 1990, the Democrats nominated him to run for the U.S. Senate for North Carolina, against Jesse Helms.

He was born on October 18, 1921, in Monroe, outside Charlotte. Ironically, he got his start as a sportswriter, with the News & Observer, out of Raleigh. He moved into the news section, then became a newscaster for WRAL-Channel 5 in Raleigh. He did TV editorials, promoting white supremacy. He helped elect Willis Smith to the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, and later for Senator Richard Russell of Georgia. He was twice elected to the Raleigh City Council, then went back to WRAL, doing editorials with the same kind of noxious racism.

Like many Southern Democrats, he switched to the Republican Party over civil rights. He called the Civil Rights Act of 1964 "the single most dangerous piece of legislation ever introduced in the Congress." He was elected to the Senate in 1972, using the slogan, "Jesse: He's One of Us." He became a darling of the conservative movement, particularly the religious conservatives, opposing abortion, labor unions, environmental causes, food stamps and the Equal Rights Amendment; and was a staunch anti-Communist.

He stood by President Richard Nixon all the way, remaining his friend even after his 1974 resignation; and supported Governor Ronald Reagan's campaign against incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford in the 1976 Primaries, his support of Reagan in the North Carolina Primary vital in keeping that campaign going, keeping Reagan viable in 1980, when he won.

In 1984, the Democrats sensed that Helms was vulnerable in a run for a 3rd term. The other most popular politician in the State, James B. Hunt, limited to 2 consecutive terms as Governor, was nominated, and it was very close: Helms won 51.7 percent of the vote, to Hunt's 47.8, a margin of less than 87,000 votes. Had Reagan not overwhelmingly won re-election, Helms likely would have lost.

His reputation as "Senator No" increased, as he opposed everything the Democrats wanted, and even some things that less-conservative Republicans wanted. He would have to run for a 4th term in 1990 without the "coattails" of a popular Republican President -- George H.W. Bush was now in office, and wasn't especially popular as the Congressional campaign began -- and Democrats thought Gantt could beat him.

The North Carolina Republican Party mailed over 125,000 notices, almost exclusively to black voters, telling them that they were not eligible to vote, and warned that if they went to the polls they could be prosecuted for voter fraud. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the Helms campaign. A settlement was reached, and the activity was stopped.

With the polls neck and neck, Helms aired a late-running television commercial titled "Hands." It showed a white man's hands crumpling up a rejection notice. a voiceover says, "You needed that job, and you were the best qualified. But they had to give it to a minority because of a racial quota. Is that really fair?"

The advertisement compared Helms to Gantt by saying that Gantt was "for racial quotas" and that Helms was against them. In particular, it accused Gantt of supporting "Ted Kennedy's racial quota law." Such a law did exist, and the Massachusetts Senator was hardly its only supporter. But, as a stand-in for everything conservatives hated about liberals, Ted was a convenience, even though he and Helms remained friendly in the Senate chamber.

Another Helms television commercial accused Gantt of running a "secret campaign" in homosexual communities and of being committed to "mandatory gay rights laws" including "requiring local schools to hire gay teachers." There was no such campaign.

Desperate to get rid of the Senator who had embraced his role as the biggest bigot in American politics, now that former Governor George Wallace of Alabama had repented somewhat in his later career, Democratic activists in North Carolina asked Michael Jordan to do a TV ad endorsing Gantt. Jordan's own mother asked him to do the ad. Jordan said, "Look, Mom, I’m not speaking out of pocket about someone I don’t know. But I will send a contribution to support him." And he did. But he didn't do the ad.

On November 6, Helms got 52.5 percent of the vote, to Gantt's 47.4, a winning margin of 106,000 votes. No stranger to sports and its lore, Helms paraphrased Casey at the Bat: "There's no joy in Mudville tonight. The mighty ultra-liberal establishment, and the liberal politicians and editors and commentators and columnists, have struck out."

The Democrats gained only 1 seat in the Senate, and 7 in the House. Among the new Senators were Democrat Paul Wellstone of Minnesota, who eventually died in a plane crash while running for a 3rd term; and Republican Larry Craig of Idaho, whose career crashed and burned at an airport, through his own folly.

In 1992, Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois became the 1st black Democrat, and only the 2nd black person (after Republican Ed Brooke of Massachusetts in 1966), to be elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote. In a widely publicized incident on July 22, 1993, she reported that Helms deliberately sought to offend her by whistling the Southern song "Dixie" as the two shared an elevator.

Also in 1992, Bill Clinton was elected President. On November 22, 1994, the anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Helms said of his home State, "Mr. Clinton better watch out if he comes down here. He'd better have a bodyguard." He said Clinton was unpopular, and that he had not meant it as a threat. (For the record, although Clinton finished 2nd in North Carolina to Bush in a 3-way race with Ross Perot, it was by 71,000 votes, and he got more votes in the State than Helms had ever gotten to that point.)

In October 1993, Jordan stepped away from basketball, for reasons that are still debated. In March 1995, he returned. Chicago Tribune beat reporter Sam Smith, in his book The Second Coming, wrote about the attempt to get Jordan to endorse Gantt, who was getting read for a rematch with Helms in 1996. Smith wrote that Jordan said he wasn't into politics, didn't know the issues -- "And, as he later told a friend, 'Republicans buy shoes, too.'" This soon entered the public mind as, "Republicans buy sneakers, too."

People who opposed Helms were furious. They thought Jordan had sold out, putting Nike and what it paid him ahead of his own people. Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, "He took commerce over conscience." Football legend Jim Brown said, "Money has changed today's black athletes. Those who have the ability as African men to bring a change in a community that so desperately needs it are concentrating only on their own careers, some charities and how much money they can make." A joke developed: "Jordan stays at the Ritz, because he sold out to crackers."

Gantt himself didn't seem to mind, saying, "It's been blown way out of proportion. They make it sound almost as if had he endorsed my campaign, we would have won. We don't know that. I don't hold it against him."

In 1996, his comeback complete and his legend as an all-time great secured, Jordan hosted a fundraiser for Gantt at his Chicago steakhouse. It didn't work: Helms won 52.6 percent to Gantt's 45.9. Gantt has never run for office again.

Helms served out that 5th term in the Senate, and did not run again in 2002. He died on July 4, 2008, with Senator Barack Obama of Illinois the nominee-in-waiting, though not yet the official nominee, for President of the Democratic Party. Had Helms lived just 4 more months, he would have seen America elect a black President.

Helms died of vascular dementia: Heart trouble causing dysfunction of the brain, confounding those who doubted that he had either. When he announced in 2001 that his health had convinced him not to run for another term, Washington Post political columnist David S. Broder called him "the last prominent unabashed white racist politician in this country." As we have since seen, Broder was grossly premature. Even as he died, newspeople pussyfooted around his hideous rhetoric, toward various groups that he perceived as enemies of God and America.

In 2008 and 2012, Jordan endorsed Obama. In 2016, responding to the Black Lives Matter movement, Jordan said, "I can no longer stay silent."

In 2017, in response to a nasty tweet that Donald Trump issued against Steph Curry of the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, LeBron James tweeted to Trump, "U bum." Apparently, despite also being signed to Nike, LeBron didn't give a damn whether Republicans bought sneakers, too. Asked about this, Jordan said, "I support L.J."

*

November 6, 1990 was a Tuesday. In another notable election on this day, William Weld won a strange election for Governor of Massachusetts, over John Silber. I have a separate entry for that event. And German soccer star André Schürrle and Saturday Night Live performer Bowen Yang were born.

Baseball was out of season. Football was in midweek. There were 11 games played in the NBA:

* The New York Knicks lost to the Dallas Mavericks, 96-91 at Madison Square Garden.

* The New Jersey Nets lost to the Charlotte Hornets, 113-105 at the Charlotte Coliseum.

* The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic, 102-95 at the Orlando Arena.

* The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Miami Heat, 106-94 at the Miami Arena.

* The Indiana Pacers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 98-96 at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.

* The Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls, 110-108 at the Chicago Stadium. Jordan scored 33.

* The Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets, 145-135 at The Summit in Houston. (It's now the Central Campus of Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church.) Kevin Smith scored 35 for the Rockets.

* The Golden State Warriors beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 130-109 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

* The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 125-123 in overtime at The Forum outside Los Angeles in Inglewood, California.

* The Atlanta Hawks beat the Sacramento Kings, 102-85 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento.

* And the Seattle SuperSonics beat the Detroit Pistons, 100-92 at the Seattle Center Coliseum.

And there were 7 games in the NHL:

* The New York Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3 at the Nassau Coliseum.

* The Washington Capitals beat the Quebec Nordiques, 4-1 at the Colisée de Québec.

* The Chicago Blackhawks and the Hartford Whalers played to a tie, 1-1 at the Hartford Civic Center (now the PeoplesBank Arena).

* The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Calgary Flames, 6-5 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh.

* The St. Louis Blues beat the Edmonton Oilers, 2-1 at the St. Louis Arena.

* The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Winnipeg Jets, 4-2 at the Winnipeg Arena.

* And the Vancouver Canucks beat the Detroit Red Wings, 6-3 at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.

October 6, 1993: Michael Jordan Retires (For the 1st Time)

October 6, 1993: Michael Jordan retires from professional basketball. He is only 30 years old, does not claim an injury, and is coming off 3 straight NBA Championships with the Chicago Bulls.

The cover of the next issue of Sports Illustrated has a simple headline, with a simple question.

His answer: He had lost his desire to play basketball. He later added that the death of his father, James Jordan, a murder victim in Lumberton, North Carolina 3 months earlier, helped to convince him.

Later still, he said that another factor was not really having an off-season the year before, 1992, because he was leading the U.S. "Dream Team" at the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Apparently, he was both physically and emotionally exhausted.

There is another explanation, perhaps a more sinister one. During the Bulls' 1993 Playoff series with the New York Knicks, a story got out that he had made the 128-mile trip down to Atlantic City, New Jersey, and did a considerable amount of gambling there. And stories had gotten out that he had lost hundreds of thousands of dollars betting on golf games he was playing.

Now, there has never been any evidence, at least not publicly revealed, that Jordan bet on an NBA game. This is not a Pete Rose situation, as far as we know. But it didn't matter: If a player can be that much in debt to a gambler, he could be pressured to throw a game to pay off the debt.

But then-NBA Commissioner David Stern didn't want to lose the NBA's biggest drawing card and moneymaker. Not for good, anyway. So some people believe that Jordan cut a deal with Stern: Step away from the game for a while, and the investigation would be dropped. Essentially, it was an indefinite suspension.

It lasted for a year and a half. Jordan returned on March 18, 1995, and Stern allowed it. He played through the 1998 season, winning 3 more titles, then retired again. He came back one more time, for 2001-02 and 2002-03, with the Washington Wizards, and finally retired for good. There was never another investigation into his gambling.

But that question on that cover, "Why?", still lingers. Jordan himself has never told the story. Nor did Stern, before his death in 2020.

*

October 6, 1993 was a Wednesday. It was midweek for football, and the NBA season hadn't started yet. But the baseball Playoffs were underway:

* In Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Chicago White Sox, 3-1 at the new Comiskey Park (now named Rate Field). Dave Stewart, previously part of the recent Oakland Athletics' near-dynasty, outpitched Alex Fernandez.

Before Game 1, Jordan had thrown out the ceremonial first ball. The Jays would beat the ChiSox in 6 games. The following Spring, Jordan would sign with the White Sox, but never got out of Class AA ball, because he batted only .202 for the Birmingham Barons.

* In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Philadelphia Phillies upset the Atlanta Braves, 4-3 at Veterans Stadium. The Phils' "Macho Row," with overtones of the 1986 Mets in terms of behavior if not quite talent, and predecessors of the 2004 Red Sox in terms of personal grooming if not cheating, were given no chance against the 2-time defending NL Champion Braves. And when the Braves came from 3-2 down in the top of the 9th, everyone presumed that the conventional wisdom was wise.

It wasn't. With 1 out in the bottom of the 10th, the Fightin' Phils got back-to-back doubles by John Kruk and Kim Batiste. The winning pitcher, in relief, was Mitch Williams.

And there were 7 games played on this early date in the NHL season:

* The New Jersey Devils beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1 at the Brendan Byrne Arena at the Meadowlands. Ken Daneyko broke up a tie game 6 minutes into the 3rd period.

* The Montreal Canadiens beat the Hartford Whalers, 4-3 at the Montreal Forum.

* The Quebec Nordiques and the Ottawa Senators played to a tie, 5-5 at the Ottawa Civic Centre (now named the TD Place Arena).

* The Chicago Blackhawks and the Florida Panthers played to a tie, 4-4 at Chicago Stadium. This would be the old barn's 66th and last season of play.

* The Winnipeg Jets beat the Washington Capitals, 6-4 at the Winnipeg Arena.

* The Edmonton Oilers beat the San Jose Sharks, 3-2 at the Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton.

* And the Vancouver Canucks beat the Los Angeles Kings, 5-2 at the Great Western Forum in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, California. 

June 19, 1984: The Portland Trail Blazers Draft Sam Bowie -- Not Michael Jordan

June 19, 1984: The NBA Draft is held, at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Houston Rockets had the 1st pick, and they took University of Houston center Hakeem Olajuwon. It worked out pretty well for them, as he helped them reach 3 NBA Finals and win 2 NBA Championships.

The Portland Trail Blazers had the 2nd pick, and they took University of Kentucky center Sam Bowie. Bowie has built a nice career for himself in Kentucky's other major sports industry, breeding racehorses. But due to recurring injuries, through no fault of his own, and through no fault of the Blazers', his pro basketball career was a failure.

The Chicago Bulls had the 3rd pick, and they took University of North Carolina guard Michael Jordan. He led the Bulls to 6 NBA Championships, including in 1992 over the Blazers, and is called by more people than any other the greatest basketball player of all time.

Meanwhile, the Blazers haven't won an NBA Championship since 1977, or reached the Finals since 1992.

How dumb were the Blazers? With nearly 40 years' worth of hindsight, maybe not as dumb as they look. From 2005 to 2007, ESPN did a series titled Top 5 Reasons You Can’t Blame…, and one of their episodes looked at the '84 Draft. Here were their Top 5 reasons the Blazers shouldn't be blamed for choosing Bowie instead of Jordan:

5. "The Draft is a crapshoot." It sure is: Some teams make mistakes seemingly every year. As someone who used to root for the New Jersey Nets, and continues to observe them locally as the Brooklyn Nets, I write from painful experience.

4. Sam Bowie: At the time, he seemed like a good pick, having just led Kentucky to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

3. Bill Walton: Had he stayed healthy after leading the Blazers to that 1977 title, they still would have had that big, great center that they hoped Bowie would become. In other words, they wouldn't have drafted Bowie, because they wouldn't have had to.

Bill Walton (left), by then with the Los Angeles Clippers, and Bowie

2. Michael Jordan -- as he was at the time: You may remember the old joke: "Who's the only man who can hold Michael Jordan to under 20 points? Dean Smith." The Tar Heel coach's "Four Corners" offense was team-oriented, and held down Jordan's scoring, while still winning. It was clear he would be a great player, but nobody, not even Dean or Nike, thought he would become the sports, advertising and pop-culture colossus that he became.

1. Clyde Drexler: The Blazers already had an All-Pro guard in Clyde the Glide. From a strategic standpoint, getting the 1984 version of Michael Jordan didn't make sense. And the Blazers did go on to win Western Conference Titles in 1990 and '92, although they didn’t win the NBA Championship either time.

It's also worth pointing out that the Rockets also passed on Jordan, and the only Championships they won during Jordan's career were in 1994 and 1995, during his "hiatus." Would they have beaten the Bulls in the '94 and '95 Finals? Robert Horry, who played on those Rocket teams, is convinced that they would have, calling Olajuwon the one player Jordan feared.

We'll never know for sure. But what we do know is that nobody says the Rockets were dumb for choosing Olajuwon over Jordan.

But at least the Blazers are still in Portland, and drawing well, unlike their fellow Pacific Northwest teams, the Seattle SuperSonics and, later, the Vancouver Grizzlies.

*

June 19, 1984 was a Tuesday. Actor Paul Dano was born.

The NBA Championship was won a week earlier, when the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the Finals. The Stanley Cup was won a month earlier, when the Edmonton Oilers beat the New York Islanders, ending one dynasty and starting another. The United States Football League was in its 2nd season, but no games were played on this day.

These Major League Baseball games were:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers, 7-6 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Ron Guidry ran out of gas in the bottom of the 8th inning, and the Tigers scored 4 runs. The Yankees only got 2 back in the top of the 9th. Lance Parrish hit a home run for the Tigers. Don Mattingly went 2-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs. Dave Winfield went 3-for-4 with a walk.

* The New York Mets lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-4 at Shea Stadium. Former Met Jerry Koosman outpitched Ed Lynch. Mike Schmidt hit his 404th career home run. Ron Gardenhire and Hubie Brooks homered for the Mets.

* The Montreal Expos beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Pete Rose, during his brief time north of the border, went 1-for-4.

* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox, 9-7 at Fenway Park in Boston. The O's scored 4 runs in the 8th and 4 more in the 9th to win it. Eddie Murray went 2-for-5 with a home run and 6 RBIs. Cal Ripken went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

* The Atlanta Braves beat the San Francisco Giants, 11-6 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-5 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Robin Yount went 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Paul Molitor was injured and did not play.

* The Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 10-4 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the Minnesota Twins, 7-4 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

* The San Diego Padres beat the Houston Astros, 2-0 at the Astrodome in Houston. Eric Show pitched a 2-hit shutout. Tony Gwynn went 3-for-3.

* The Texas Rangers beat the California Angels, 4-2 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). Reggie Jackson hit his 489th career home run. Rod Carew went 0-for-1 with 2 walks before being removed from the game.

* The Kansas City Royals beat the Oakland Athletics, 6-2 at the Oakland Coliseum. George Brett went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jorge Orta went 3-for-5 with a home run and 4 RBIs. Rickey Henderson went 2-for-4 with a home run, a stolen base and 2 RBIs.

* And the Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox, 8-2 at the Kingdome in Seattle.

June 16, 1996: Michael Jordan Completes His Comeback

June 16, 1996: The Chicago Bulls defeat the Seattle SuperSonics 87-75, to take Game 6 and the NBA Championship.

Michael Jordan thus completes his comeback from his "exile," after the death of his father, James Jordan; his not-really-a-suspension, due to his gambling addiction; and, as comedian Jordan Peele would later say, "your baseball career, now that was a tragedy!"

He sat out the 1993-94 season, and the Bulls lost the Eastern Conference Semifinal to the New York Knicks, who then lost the NBA Finals to the Houston Rockets. In March 1995, Jordan returned, or was allowed to, but, like Muhammad Ali, fighting Joe Frazier after only 2 tuneup fights, may have needed more time: The Bulls got swept in 4 straight by the Orlando Magic, who then got swept in the NBA Finals by the Rockets.

But in 1995-96, the Bulls dominated the NBA all season long, winning 72 games for a new regular-season record. With Phil Jackson coaching them, and Jordan, 1991-93 "threepeat" holdover Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Luc Longley and Toni Kukoc, the Bulls swept the Miami Heat in 3 straight, beat the Knicks 4 games to 1, and swept the Magic in 4 straight to win the Eastern Conference title, setting up a Finals against the Seattle SuperSonics.

It surprised no one that the Bulls won the 1st 3 games, 107-90 and 92-88 at the United Center in Chicago, and 108-86 at the KeyArena in Seattle. The Sonics took Game 4 at home, 107-86. But when the Sonics also took Game 5 in Chicago, 89-78, it put more than just the Bulls' status as a contender for the title of "greatest team of all time," but their title this time. People began to talk about the Sonics maybe becoming the 1st team to come back in the Finals from 3-0 down to win it. Only the 1951 Knicks had even forced a Game 7 before losing.

Game 6 was played in Seattle on Sunday, June 16 -- Father's Day, a fact not lost on Jordan. He scored 22 points, and led the Bulls to an 87-75 victory, and their 4th title in 6 years. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the Finals for the 4th time, but it was the title he cared about, as the TV cameras caught him in the locker room, tearfully hugging the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

The Bulls would go on to make it 6 NBA Championships in 8 years, with Jordan being named Finals MVP every time. Then, general manager Jerry Krause began to break them up, thinking he could build a new dynasty without Jordan -- or Jackson, for that matter. He was wrong: He was fired as GM after the 2003 season, and died in 2017. In the 26 seasons since, the Bulls have won just 5 Playoff series, reaching the Conference Finals twice, in 2011 and 2015, after Krause left.

The Sonics? They ceased to exist in 2008, without ever having been to another Finals (the only one they won was in 1979), and were moved to become the Oklahoma City Thunder (where they reached the Finals and lost in 2012).

(UPDATE: The Thunder won the NBA Championship in 2025. The Bulls still haven't made the NBA Finals, and the Conference Finals only twice.)

The Bulls' 72-10 regular-season record was surpassed by the 2016 Golden State Warriors, who went 73-9, but lost Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Were the '96 Bulls the greatest team of all time? The argument in their favor is Jordan himself.

But the question in comparing them to other teams is not, "Who's going to guard Jordan?" On the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers, Hal Greer. On the 1970 New York Knicks, Walt Frazier. On the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers, Jerry West. On the 1983 76ers, Maurice Cheeks. On the 1985 Lakers, Magic Johnson. On the 1986 Boston Celtics, Larry Bird would personally take up the challenge. On the 1989 Detroit Pistons, the man who shut Jordan down better than anyone, Joe Dumars. On the 2000 Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant. On the 2012 Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade.

No, the real question, for any Bulls team with Jordan, whether it's the 1st threepeat with Bill Cartwright at center or the 2nd one with Luc Longley, is, against those teams, is, how are they going to stop, respectively: Wilt Chamberlain, Willis Reed, Chamberlain again, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Parish, Bill Laimbeer, Shaquille O'Neal or LeBron James.

Jordan and Pippen, and Jackson as 1 of the Top 10 Coaches, were named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team. When the 75th Anniversary Team was named, Rodman was added.

*

June 16, 1996 was, as I said, a Sunday -- Father's Day. Football was out of season. Hockey season had ended 6 days earlier, when the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, completing a 4-game sweep over the Florida Pnathers.

And these Major League Baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians, 5-4 at Yankee Stadium. Andy Pettitte outpitched Dennis Martínez. At that point, Martínez had won 239 games in the major leagues, Pettitte 23. When their careers were over, Pettitte had won 256, Martínez 245.

Bernie Williams went 4-for-5 with an RBI. Tino Martinez went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Rookie Derek Jeter did not start, entered the game as a defensive replacement, and went 0-for-1.

* The New York Mets lost the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. The Mets took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the 8th, and blew it.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers, 10-9 at Fenway Park in Boston.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves, 3-2 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

* The Florida Marlins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-2 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

* The Cincinnati Reds bat the Montreal Expos, 7-0 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Roger Salkeld pitched a 4-hit shutout.

* The Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres, 8-4 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Tony Gwynn went 0-for-3 with a walk, and had an RBI on a fielder's choice.

* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Kansas City Royals, 13-5 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Brady Anderson, in his outlier year, went 3-for-5 with 2 home runs, a walk and 5 RBIs. Cal Ripken went 3-for-5 with a walk.

* The Oakland Athletics beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 10-9 at Milwaukee County Stadium.

* The Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers, 4-1 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

* The Colorado Rockies beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 11-3 at Coors Field in Denver.

* The Toronto Blue Jays beat the California Angels, 6-4 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim).

* And the Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox, 7-6 at the Kingdome in Seattle. Edgar Martínez went 2-for-3 with a walk and 4 RBIs. Ken Griffey Jr. went 2-for-4 with a walk.

* And the San Francisco Giants beat the Houston Astros, 8-7 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Barry Bonds went 0-for-4 with a walk. For the Astros, Derek Bell went 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs.

June 12, 1991: Chicago & Jordan: NBA Champions at Last

June 12, 1991: The Chicago Bulls, and their superstar Michael Jordan, finally get their validation.

The Bulls were founded in 1966, the 3rd NBA team in Chicago. The Chicago Stags were a founding member in 1946, played in Chicago Stadium on the West Side, and won the Western Division title in 1947, losing the 1st Finals to the Philadelphia Warriors. They played 4 seasons, and made the Playoffs each time. But in the 1950 off-season, an attempted takeover by Harlem Globetrotters owner Abe Saperstein, and an intended "rebrand" as the Chicago Bruins, failed, and the NBA foreclosed on the team.

In 1961, Saperstein tried again, founding the American Basketball League, with the Chicago Majors as his flagship team, playing at the Stadium. This prompted NBA President Maurice Podoloff to create his league's first expansion team, as opposed to a team absorbed in a merger.

With the Stadium unavailable, he put them in the International Amphitheatre, on the South Side, near the famed stockyards. However, this led to the team being named the Chicago Packers, and Chicago Bears fans, trained to hate the Green Bay Packers, wanted nothing to do with them, and low attendance combined with poor performance, dooming them to an 18-62 record. The next year, they moved a few blocks north, to the Chicago Coliseum, and were renamed the Chicago Zephyrs. Although Terry Dischinger was named Rookie of the Year, they were just 25-55 in 1962-63, and were moved, becoming the Baltimore Bullets, now known as the Washington Wizards.

The Bulls were founded as an expansion team in 1966. After playing their 1st season at the Amphitheatre, they moved to the Stadium, where they remained until 1994, when the United Center opened across the street. The Bulls were respectable immediately, making the Playoffs their 1st 2 seasons, and in 8 of their 1st 9. In 1975, they won the Midwest Division, and reached the Western Conference Finals. They went into a down period, which included a switch in 1981 to the Eastern Conference and the Central Division.

In 1984, the Bulls drafted guard Michael Jordan out of North Carolina. He was pushed by Nike as the champion of their sneakers, the Air Jordan having been designed to sell under his name. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1985, but injuries limited him to 18 regular-season games in 1985-86.

In the Playoffs that season, he scored 63 points in a double-overtime Playoff game against the Boston Celtics, the most points ever scored at the Boston Garden. But the Celtics won. The next-best player on the Bulls was John Paxson, a guard from Notre Dame, acquired that year from the San Antonio Spurs.

Jordan won the Slam-Dunk Contest at the All-Star Game in 1987, and again in 1988 on his home court at Chicago Stadium. He hit a series-winning shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1989. He was becoming the most-hyped player in the NBA.

Nike even put him in its "Bo Knows" commercial for the 1989 Major League Baseball All-Star Game: Kirk Gibson said, "Bo knows baseball," and Jim Everett said, "Bo knows football," both of which Bo Jackson was then playing at an All-Star level, but Jordan said, "Bo knows basketball, too," even though he hadn't played the sport since high school. Still, though, both Jordan and Jackson had fallen short as far as team success were concerned, and Jackson never would achieve team success.

Jordan was becoming the most overrated athlete in America. People were fawning over his dunks, but team success wasn't coming. So Bulls general manager Jerry Krause went to work. He drafted 2 forwards for the 1987-88 season: Central Arkansas' Scottie Pippen and Clemson's Grant. He also traded for New York Knicks center Bill Cartwright for the 1988-89 season. For the 1989-90 season, Doug Collins was fired as head coach, and assistant coach Phil Jackson, a former Knicks star, was promoted. Krause drafted Iowa guard B.J. Armstrong. But in 1989 and '90, the Bulls lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Detroit Pistons.

In 1990-91, the Bulls went 61-21, winning the Central Division. In the Playoffs, they swept the Knicks in 3 straight. They beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 1. And they decisively dethroned the Pistons, ending their run of Eastern Conference titles at 3 straight and NBA titles at 2, sweeping them in 4 straight, the 4th game a 115-94 thumping at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

They would face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. This was the Lakers' 9th Finals berth in 12 years, and they'd already won 5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was retired, but they still had Earvin "Magic" Johnson, James Worthy, A.C. Green, Byron Scott and Mychal Thompson, and had added Vlade Divac and Sam Perkins. The Bulls had the home-court advantage. But with their experience, the Lakers took home-court advantage away, winning Game 1 in Chicago, 93-91, despite 36 points from Jordan.

Then the Bulls took over. In Game 2, Jordan scored 33, including a mid-air, switch-handed layup that NBC's Marv Albert called "a spectacular move by Michael Jordan!" The Bulls won, 107-86. The series moved out to The Forum in Inglewood, California, and Game 3 went to overtime. But the Bulls pulled away, and won, 104-96. The Lakers were as good as dead: The Bulls won Game 4, 97-82; and wrapped up the title in Game 5, 108-101. Jordan was named the Most Valuable Player of the Finals, and went on to be named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

It was the 1st NBA Championship for any Chicago team. Moreover, it allowed Chicago to join New York, Philadelphia and Detroit as 1 of only 4 cities to have won a World Series, an NFL Championship, a Stanley Cup and an NBA Championship.

With the Sting having done it in 1981 and 1984, it allowed Chicago to join New York and Philadelphia as 1 of only 3 cities to have won titles in each of the "Big Four" North American sports and major league soccer. With Loyola University having done it in 1963, it allowed Chicago to join New York and Philadelphia as 1 of only 3 cities to have won titles in each of the "Big Four" North American sports and a college basketball National Championship. (As of the 2025-26 season, those totals are now, respectively: 10, 7 and 5.)

The 1st half of Michael Jordan's career, roughly, had come to an end with him finally getting his validation as a World Champion. The 2nd half would bring more stories, some glorious, some odd, all legendary.

UPDATE: The Bulls have a Ring of Honor. From the pre-Jordan era, they have honored guards Norm Van Lier and Jerry Sloan, forwards Bob Love and Chet Walker, center Artis Gilmore, and team owner Dick Klein. They have retired Sloan's Number 4 and Love's Number 10, but not Van Lier's Number 2, Walker's Number 25 or Gilmore's Number 53.

From the Jordan era, they have honored guards John Paxson and Michael Jordan; forwards Toni Kukoč, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman; and center Bill Cartwright. They have retired Jordan's Number 23 and Pippen's Number 33, but not Paxson's Number 5, Kukoč's Number 7, Cartwright's Number 24, Grant's Number 54 or Rodman's Number 91. They have also honored head coach Phil Jackson, assistant coaches Morice "Tex" Winter and Johnny Bach, general manager Jerry Krause, and broadcasters Johnny "Red" Kerr and Neil Funk. And they have honored the 1995-96 team as a whole.

They have not yet inducted any post-Jordan players, but they have retired Number 1 for guard Derrick Rose. Jordan and Pippen, and Jackson as 1 of the Top 10 Coaches, were named to the NBA's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.

*

June 12, 1991 was a Wednesday. These Major League Baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees lose to the Minnesota Twins, 6-3 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Allan Anderson outpitches Jeff Johnson, who gives up a 1st inning grand slam to Pedro Muñoz. Chuck Knoblauch goes 3-for-5, on his way to helping the Twins win the World Series. He will be named American League Rookie of the Year, and eventually become part of a new Yankee Dynasty. For the Yankees, Jesse Barfield hits 2 home runs, and Don Mattingly goes 1-for-4.

* The New York Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves, 6-1 at Shea Stadium. Steve Avery not only outpitched Ron Darling, he went 4-for-4 in his own cause. The only Met run came on a home run by Howard Johnson.

* The Montreal Expos beat the Cincinnati Reds, 10-9 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

* The Kansas City Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles, 9-8 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Danny Tartabull led off the top of the 10th inning with a home run. George Brett did not play. Cal Ripken went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-1 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Barry Bonds went 1-for-2 with 2 walks.

* The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cleveland Indians, 1-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The only run scored when the Jays' Joe Carter, against his former team, singled Devon White home in the 1st inning. Tom Candiotti went the distance, giving up only 3 hits. But he was outpitched by 4 Toronto pitchers: Mike Timlin allowed 1 hit and 2 walks over 6 innings, Bob MacDonald allowed a hit in the 7th, Jim Acker got the 1st 2 outs in the 8th, and Tom Henke was perfect the rest of the way, to complete the 2-hit shutout.

* The Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants, 6-1 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

* The Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox, 4-2 at Arlington Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas.

* The Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-2 at the Astrodome in Houston.

* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the California Angels, 8-0 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). Teddy Higuera, a Mexican lefthander with a screwball, started against his role model, Fernando Valenzuela. Higuera went 6 innings, allowing 4 hits, and striking out 10. Julio Machado over 2 innings and Dan Plesac over 1 completed the 4-hit shutout.

Paul Molitor went 3-for-5 with a home run and 3 RBIs. Robin Yount went 4-for-4 with a walk and 2 RBIs. For the Angels, Dave Winfield went 1-for-4.

* The San Diego Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-2 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Tony Gwynn went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

* The Oakland Athletics beat the Detroit Tigers, 3-1 at the Oakland Coliseum. Rickey Henderson went 0-for-3 with a walk.

* And the Seattle Mariners beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-3 at the Kingdome in Seattle. Ken Griffey Jr. went 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk and 3 RBIs.

June 11, 1997: The Michael Jordan Flu Game

June 11, 1997: Michael Jordan had so many famous games that it's hard to say which one is his signature game. But it could be the Flu Game.

Jordan had led the Chicago Bulls to the NBA Championship in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Then, he was forced to chose to step aside for a while, because Commissioner David Stern found out about his gambling addiction, but didn't want to ban his big cash-cow player for life, so he talked him into "retiring" he was depressed over the recent murder of his father, James Jordan, and his heart wasn't in it anymore.

But late in the 1994-95 season, Stern decided that the Houston Rockets were boring champions, and the Orlando Magic were in too small a market to generate much revenue as the league's next signature team, even with commercial magnet Shaquille O'Neal, so he let Jordan return Jordan returned, and helped the Bulls win another title in 1996. In 1997, he got them back into the NBA Finals.

Their opponents were the Utah Jazz, who had been the New Orleans Jazz from their 1974 entry into the NBA until 1979. They'd had good teams for a while, led by guard John Stockton and forward Karl Malone. Interestingly, before Jordan, the Bulls' best player ever might have been Jerry Sloan, who was now head coach of the Jazz.

In Game 1, at the United Center in Chicago, the Jazz gave the Bulls all they could handle: The Bulls only won it 84-82. They were stronger in Game 2, winning 97-85. The series moved to Salt Lake City, to the Delta Center, which upheld its reputation as the loudest arena in the NBA. The Jazz took over, winning Game 3, 104-93 thanks to 37 points from Malone; and Game 4, 78-73. Bulls coach Phil Jackson chose to wear earplugs through Game 4, and many NBC viewers claimed they couldn't hear broadcaster Marv Albert at the end of the game, the Utah fans were yelling so loudly.

The Bulls didn't have to win Game 5 in Salt Lake City to successfully defend their title: They could have gone back to Chicago and taken Games 6 and 7. But it would have helped a lot if they could win Game 5 on Tuesday night.

But at 2:00 AM, 17 hours before tipoff, Jordan called Tim Grover, his personal trainer, to his hotel room. He was sweating profusely, and didn't even have the strength to sit up in bed. Although it was reported that he had influenza, and the game became known as "The Flu Game," in the 2020 ESPN miniseries The Last Dance, Jordan claimed it was actually food poisoning, from a pizza he'd ordered the night before. (This was 9 years before the Tottenham lasagne incident in English soccer. And who orders pizza in Utah? He should have had it flown in from Chicago with him.)

When the morning came, the Bulls' athletic trainers examined Jordan, and told him there was no way he could play. His ego now in as much pain as his stomach, he got as much rest as he could, left his hotel bed at 5:50 PM, and was suited up in time for the 7:00 tipoff.

He was going to have to play in a weakened condition. On the road. At altitude. (Salt Lake City is over 4,200 feet above sea level, compared to Chicago's approximately 600.) In front of the loudest crowd in the NBA.

Midway through the 2nd quarter, Jordan had been a nonfactor, and the Jazz took a 36-20 lead. But Jordan got it together, scored 17 points in the quarter, and at the half, the Jazz' lead was down to 53-49. Jordan took his only rest of the game in the 3rd quarter, and at its end, the Jazz led 77-69.

Playing on sheer force of will, Jordan scored 15 points in the 4th quarter. With 46 seconds left, he was fouled. He made the 1st free throw to tie the game 85-85, but missed the 2nd. Eventually, the ball got back to him, and he shot a 3-pointer to make it 88-85 with 25 seconds left. The Bulls hung on, winning 88-87.

Jordan played 44 of the game's 48 minutes, scoring 38 points, with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and a blocked shot. Most importantly, the Bulls now had a 3-games-to-2 lead. It was the 1st time the Jazz had lost at home in that year's Playoffs, having previously gone 10-0.

Two nights later, back in Chicago, still not fully recovered, Jordan scored 39, and the Bulls won, 90-86, taking their 5th title, all in the last 7 seasons. Steve Kerr scored the winning basket, and a Scottie Pippen steal in the final seconds sealed it. Jordan was named the Finals' Most Valuable Player, as he had on the 4 previous occasions.

The Bulls would beat the Jazz again the next season, leading to Jordan's 2nd retirement. The Bulls were then broken up, while the Jazz held their core together a while longer. Neither team has made the NBA Finals since.

If you believe that Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time, The Flu Game -- even though the flu is not what he had -- may well be your best argument. After all, Wilt Chamberlain may have scored 100 points in a game on no sleep, but it was hardly against a Finals-worthy opponent, and he wasn't sick.

*

June 11, 1997 was a Wednesday. Dieuson Octave, later to be the rapper known as Kodak Black, was born.

Football was out of season. The hockey season had ended 4 days earlier, when the Detroit Red Wings completed a 4-game Finals sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers, to win their 1st Stanley Cup in 42 years. And these Major League Baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox, 7-5 at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees trailed 5-0 after 5 innings, but scored 4 runs in the 6th inning and 3 in the 8th to win it. Derek Jeter went 0-for-4, but Cecil Fielder hit a home run, and Tino Martinez went 3-for-4 with an RBI, as Mike Stanton won in relief of Kenny Rogers.

* The New York Mets lost to the Chicago Cubs, 5-4 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Scott Servais scored the winning run in the bottom of the 8th, when Greg McMichael uncorked a wild pitch. (Wild pitches and wine bottles are the only things that are ever "uncorked.")

* The Montreal Expos beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles, 10-1 at Fenway Park in Boston.

* The Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-1 at the SkyDome in Toronto. (It was renamed the Rogers Centre in 2005.)

* The Cleveland Indians beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-3 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. (It was renamed Progressive Field in 2007.) Omar Vizquel singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-1 at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati. (It had been known as Riverfront Stadium from 1970 to 1995.)

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics, 4-2 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit.

* The Texas Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins, 9-6 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

* The Kansas City Royals beat the Anaheim Angels, 6-1 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

* The Colorado Rockies beat the Atlanta Braves, 9-6 at Coors Field in Denver.

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres, 8-3 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. (It had been San Diego Stadium from 1967 to 1980, and Jack Murphy Stadium from 1980 to 1996.)

* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Houston Astros, 10-5 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

* And the Florida Marlins beat the San Francisco Giants, 6-3 at Candlestick Park (then named 3Com Park at Candlestick Point) in San Francisco.

February 9, 1997: The NBA's 50th Anniversary 50 Greatest Players

February 9, 1997: The NBA hosts its All-Star Game at the Gund Arena (now the Rocket Arena) in Cleveland. The East beat the West, 132-120. Glen Rice, then with the Charlotte Hornets, was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

But the game was secondary to the halftime entertainment. Although the names had already been announced a few weeks earlier, to coincide with the NBA's actual 50th Anniversary -- the 1st game was played on November 1, 1946 -- the 50 Greatest Players, as chosen by a special panel (including, as it turned out, some of the players in question) were introduced.

Of the 50, 49 were still alive at the time. The only one who had died was Pete Maravich, who suffered a heart attack in 1988, only 40 years old. He was represented at the ceremony by his sons, Jaeson and Josh.

Of the 49 living players, 47 were on hand. The two who weren't? One had a good excuse: Jerry West, the legendary guard and executive of the Los Angeles Lakers, was in a hospital, recovering from surgery. (He did recover, and was still alive to be selected to the 75th Anniversary 75 Greatest Players.)

The other player who didn't show up did not have a good excuse. It was Shaquille O'Neal. He'd played 4 seasons, thrilling fans with ferocious dunks, and leading the Orlando Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals. This was his 1st season with the Lakers, and there were people who said his worthiness as a selection as an all-time great was premature. (That turned out to be true.)

But it wasn't humility, a belief that he didn't yet belong, that kept him away. No, it was an injury. He decided that, if he couldn't play in the game, he wouldn't show up. So he didn't. And so, when his name was announced, the crowd in Cleveland -- a city which had absolutely no reason to dislike him, or the Lakers, or even the Magic -- booed him hard.

Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets was selected, for both the All-Star Game and the 50 Greatest Players. So was Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks. Like Shaq, both of these men were injured, and unable to play in the game. But both of them showed up, anyway, wearing suits instead of their uniforms. And each of them was solidly cheered by a crowd in a city for which he had never played.

The members of the 50 Greatest Players who were still active, and selected for the games, wore their East or West uniforms. All the others wore suits. All of them were given special leather jackets, with the NBA 50th Anniversary logo, white sleeves, and torsos in the solid color of the team with which they were the most identified.

Only 4 of the NBA's 1st 50 Championship teams were not represented: The 1947 Philadelphia Warriors, the 1948 Baltimore Bullets, the 1951 Rochester Royals, and the 1979 Seattle SuperSonics, although their head coach, Lenny Wilkens, was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players.

Here they were, in (roughly) chronological order:

* From the Minneapolis Lakers' dynasty of the 1950s: George Mikan.

* From the Syracuse Nationals' 1955 NBA Champions: Dolph Schayes.

* From the Philadelphia Warriors' 1956 NBA Champions: Paul Arizin.

* From the St. Louis Hawks' 1958 NBA Champions: Bob Pettit.

* From the Boston Celtics' dynasty of the 1950s and '60s: Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek.

* From the Philadelphia 76ers' 1967 NBA Champions: Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer and Billy Cunningham.

* From the New York Knicks' 1970 NBA Champions: Willis Reed, Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Dave DeBusschere. From their 1973 Champions: Those 3, plus Jerry Lucas and Earl "the Pearl" Monroe. But not, interestingly, Bill Bradley.

* From the Milwaukee Bucks' 1971 NBA Champions: Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

* From the Los Angeles Lakers' 1972 NBA Champions: Chamberlain and Jerry West.

* From the Celtics' Champions of 1974 and '76: Havlicek and Dave Cowens.

* From the Golden State Warriors' 1975 NBA Champions: Rick Barry.

* From the Portland Trail Blazers' 1977 NBA Champions: Bill Walton.

* From the Washington Bullets' 1978 NBA Champions: Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes.

* From the Lakers' dynasty of the 1980s: Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin "Magic" Johnson and James Worthy.

* From the Celtics' dynasty of the 1980s: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Nate "Tiny" Archibald was selected, and played on their 1981 title team. Walton was selected, and played on their 1986 title team.

* From the 76ers' 1983 NBA Champions: Julius "Dr. J" Erving and Moses Malone.

* From the Detroit Pistons' back-to-back titlists of 1989 and '90: Isiah Thomas.

* From the Chicago Bulls' dynasty of the 1990s: Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

* From the Houston Rockets' 1994 NBA Champions: Hakeem Olajuwon. From their 1995 Champions: Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.

* From a sort-of dynasty yet to begin, that of the San Antonio Spurs of 1999-2007: David Robinson. Tim Duncan was still in college at this point.

* From a dynasty yet to begin, that of the Lakers in the early 2000s: Shaquille O'Neal. Kobe Bryant was a rookie, but was selected for the All-Star Game, and led all scorers with 31 points.

* Selected, but never won a title, though they did reach the NBA Finals at least once: Elgin Baylor, 1959 Minneapolis Lakers, Los Angeles Lakers of 1962, '63, '65, '66, '68, '69 and '70; Lenny Wilkens, 1961 St. Louis Hawks; Nate Thurmond, 1964 and '67 San Francisco Warriors; Charles Barkley, 1993 Phoenix Suns; Patrick Ewing, 1994 and '99 Knicks; and Karl Malone and John Stockton, both 1997 and '98 Utah Jazz.

* Selected, but never even made the NBA Finals: Dave Bing, 1970s Pistons; Pete Maravich, 1970s Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Jazz; and George Gervin, 1970s and '80s Spurs.

Every one of these players has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, including those who were still active at the time. Shaq was the last one still active, in 2011.

And every one of these players was also re-selected in 2021 for the 75 Greatest Players. No one was demoted. One player already retired in 1997 who was not selected for the 50, but was promoted to the 75, was Bob McAdoo, who played on the Lakers' 1982 and '85 Champions. And Dominique Wilkens, still playing in 1997 (with the Spurs) but close to the end of the line, whatever legacy he had already secure (and, as a 1980s Atlanta Hawk, his dunking got him nicknamed "The Human Highlight Reel"), was not selected for the 50, but was selected for the 75.

One final note: In the locker room, waiting for the ceremony to begin, Michael Jordan was holding court, smoking a cigar, and telling anyone who would listen that he was the greatest basketball player of all time.

Wilt Chamberlain heard this. He'd been hearing for a few years that Jordan was the greatest, and not just from Jordan himself. He decided to put an end to this. He walked over, towering over the seated Jordan, and said, "Michael, my man, when you played, they changed the rules to make it easier for you. When I played, they changed the rules to make it harder for me. And it didn't work."

And he walked off. Dead silence in the room. Talk about "dropping the Mike."

It didn't put an end to it: There are still people who consider Jordan the greatest ever. LeBron James was then 12 years old, and now, some people think he was greater than either of them. But neither Jordan nor LeBron can ever touch Wilt.

UPDATE: Added for the 75th Anniversary, in addition to McAdoo and Wilkins, were: Dennis Rodman, who won the titled with the 1989 and '90 Pistons, and the 1996, '97 and '98 Bulls; Tim Duncan, 1999, 2003, '05, '07 and '14 Spurs; Kobe Bryant, 2000, '01, '02, '09 and '10 Lakers; Gary Payton and Dwyane Wade, 2006 Miami Heat; Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, 2008 Celtics; Ray Allen, 2008 Celtics and 2012 and '13 Heat; Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki, 2011 Dallas Mavericks; LeBron James, 2012 and '13 Heat, 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, 2020 Lakers; Kawhi Leonard, 2014 Spurs and 2019 Toronto Raptors; Steph Curry, 2015, '17, '18 and '22 Warriors; Kevin Durant, 2017 and '18 Warriors; Anthony Davis, 2020 Lakers; Giannis Antetokounmpo, 2021 Bucks; Reggie Miller, who reached the Finals on the 2000 Indiana Pacers; Allen Iverson, who reached the Finals on the 2001 76ers; Russell Westbrook and James Harden, who reached the Finals with Durant on the 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder; Chris Paul, who reached the Finals on the 2021 Suns; and never-finalists Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash and, so far, Damian Lillard.

*

February 9, 1997 was a Sunday. There were no other NBA games played that day. Baseball and football were out of season. But there were 5 NHL games played:

* The New York Rangers lost to the Florida Panthers, 4-3 at the Miami Arena.

* The Buffalo Sabres beat the Ottawa Senators, 2-1 at the Marine Midland Arena (now the KeyBank Center) in Buffalo.

* The Dallas Stars beat the Los Angeles Kings, 2-1 at the Reunion Arena in Dallas. Neal Broten scored the winning goal with 44 seconds left in overtime.

* The Calgary Flames beat the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 6-1 at the Saddledome in Calgary.

* And the Edmonton Oilers beat the Washington Capitals, 4-1 at the Edmonton Coliseum (as the Northlands Coliseum was known at the time).

And football star Saquon Barkley was born on this day.