Michael Jordan had two three-peat reigns but decided to come back to the NBA for the third time Jordan was representing the Washington Wizards alongside his front-office role. And recently, his Wizards era is receiving a lot of love from former and current stars. Even Kevin Garnett, who once admitted that MJ “bullied” during the 90s era, expressed his reasons for His Airness comeback.
“But I thought it was great for the league when he came back. I thought he wanted to see where he lined up or aligned with some of these younger stars. I thought it was just great overall for the league.” The Big Ticket revealed on his podcast. At the time, there were questions if Michael Jordan could justify his legacy.
It was not in line with his Chicago Bulls record. Because in those 13 seasons, he averaged 31.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. On the Club 520 podcast, Kevin Garnett revealed how he failed as a rookie against MJ. The Timberwolves legend did not specify the game, but it was during his rookie year when his team was leading for three quarters.
A Feb. 27, 1996 matchup between the sides had the same outcome. When KG ended up talking smack to Jordan for being in the lead, that ended up proving to be the boost for Jordan. The Bulls would outscore 38-23 in the fourth quarter, and Garnett regretted his actions.
There was no regret for Michael Jordan, even during his tenure with the Wizards. Although he couldn’t take the team to playoffs, he still improved by adopting a different style. Thus, he was successful in averaging more than 20 points per game. Which inspired even Carmelo Anthony, who made his debut after Jordan retired from the league.
Carmelo Anthony also praised Michael Jordan and his Wizards run
Jordan signed Melo as his first-choice athlete for the Jordan brand. Even before that, Carmelo Anthony never shied away from wearing His Airness sneakers. Despite the personal connection, the Knicks legend explained the two-year impact of MJ on his career. “So, I just remember watching him, like, just, you know, like as a basketball player and like, damn, he just looked, like, he looked so different,” Carmelo Anthony started on the 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast.
As per him, Michael Jordan became more efficient from shooting and relied less on dribbling. Looking back at the stats, MJ improved his 3-point shooting, which was his seventh-highest in his 15-season-long run. He had a 29.1% percentile while also his scoring 22.9 points per game, the 10th-highest mark for him.
And if you think he did not break any records, then think again. Because MJ scored a 51-point performance against the Charlotte Hornets to then become the oldest player to do so. That’s why KG and Carmelo Anthony appreciate Jordan and his Wizards tenure. Even though it was not the best, but good enough to prove to critics that he could still compete at the highest level.
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