“I never expected to see this happen” – Phil Jackson explained why he wasn’t mad at Michael Jordan after his crucial turnovers against the Magic in 1995 playoffs originally appeared on Basketball Network.
When Michael Jordan returned to active basketball duty in 1995, most expected him to struggle. After being away from the game for so long, it would have been crazy to think that MJ would pick up from where he left off in 1993.
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As expected, Michael struggled and was hardly the dominant player that NBA fans were used to. He had bad games, one of which was Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Orlando Magic.
“Knowing Michael so well, I put my arms around him after that first game against Orlando when he lost the ball and said, ‘As many times as we won behind you, I never expected to see this happen. Let’s use it for our tool. Let’s use it to build a positive. You’re our guy and don’t never forget that,” Jackson told Jordan as narrated in the book, “Michael Jordan: The Life.”
Number 45 is not number 23
In Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals, the Bulls were ahead 91-90, but two costly turnovers by MJ tilted the game in Magic’s favor. This was uncanny for someone like Jordan, considering all he had to do at the time was dribble away the time.
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Nick Anderson was responsible for a steal in that possession, allowing Orlando to escape with a 94-91 win. The Orlando Magic swingman would later say that Jordan was not the same explosive player as before he left for baseball.
Jordan had no explanation for those blunders, admitting that turnover was one of the frustrating memories of his playing career. He knew he was in the game to help finish things off, but he let his team down. Michael admitted that it changed the overall momentum of that series and affected his self-confidence.
“I made a critical error that changed the overall momentum of the series…From that point forward, I was trying to do a little more than I should’ve. Because at the end of that game, I lost my confidence,” Jordan quipped.
MJ admits return was premature
The Orlando Magic went on to eliminate the Bulls in six games. A controversial jersey number change did not help the Bulls’ fortunes at the time. The Magic were peaking, and the Bulls just lacked the chemistry and preparation to bring down their Eastern Conference rival.
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Jordan would later admit that his return was not well-timed. He acknowledged that he was not ready for his basketball return, both physically and mentally.
“Deep down, I wanted it; I wanted to be ready, but I don’t think I was really ready for my basketball comeback,” Jordan stated.
It was a late realization for the North Carolina product, who had been initially advised by his agent, Curtis Polk, to delay his pro basketball return.
“He had bulked up in baseball, particularly in the upper body, and those are things that weren’t necessarily compatible to him just stepping out quickly onto the basketball court,” Polk reasoned.
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But knowing his stubbornness at the time, MJ felt returning at any time wouldn’t matter. He thought he had a mission to restore order to the league, blasting the new stars he felt were not playing the game respectfully, but purely to earn big bucks.
Jordan and the Bulls had to stumble to realize that proper preparation is essential for success, especially in the playoffs. That showed in the 1995-96 season, when the Bulls ran roughshod over the competition, with a 72-10 regular-season slate.
The Bulls avenged their 1995 exit by eliminating the Magic in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals with a dominant sweep. But the sweetest of all was winning their fourth title, bringing down the Seattle Supersonics in six games.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.