Michael Jordan burst onto the NBA scene in 1984-85 winning Rookie of the Year and staking his claim as the new juggernaut NBA swing king, dunking on cats with lucid dreams and embarking on a journey of trendsetting branding and unprecedented marketing potential.
By the time Jordan won his first NBA championship on June 12, 1991, he was already considered the preeminent player in the world and one of the all-time great talents, but beating the Lakers and the Magic Johnson, 4-1 in the NBA Finals officially sparked The Jordan Era. Your Airness would go on to revolutionize the game, win five more championships in five tries and forever become the standard that iconic NBA players of our generation measure their own excellence by.
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25 years ago today: 1991 ~ The Chicago #Bulls win their first ever NBA Championship. (Jordan 30 pts, Pippen 32 pts)
No one can ever take this away from me, said an emotional Jordan after capturing his first shiny ball. This has been a seven-year struggle for me. It should get rid of the stigma of being a one-man team. We have players surrounding myself that make us an effective basketball team. I dont know if Ill ever have this same feeling again.
Chicago steamrolled through the playoffs with a 15-2 record. Jordan snatched the NBA Finals MVP with 30 points, 10 assists and 5 steals. In an unforgettable scene, Jordan broke down crying in tears with his now deceased father and ex-wife by his side.
The NBAs new Hardwood heroes Jordan and Scottie Pippen combined for 62 points, 17 rebounds, 17 assists and 10 steals to beat the Lakers 108-101 in Game 5 of the ’91 Finals. It was also the first championship for a Chicago franchise that was just 25-years old.
Magic Johnson had a triple-double that game (16 points, 20 assists and 11 rebounds), but he failed to win his sixth championship in just 12 seasons. It’s a watershed moment in the unrivaled and incomparable life of Michael Jordan.
