Michael Jordan is regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time, and one key reason behind it was his overwhelming confidence.
This immense confidence helped Michael Jordan lead the Chicago Bulls to six NBA Championships in six tries during the 1990s.
Even today, many give examples of Jordan’s incredible mentality. But one may wonder, was there a time when even MJ doubted himself? Well, yes, there was.
Photo credit should read VINCENT LAFORET/AFP via Getty ImagesMichael Jordan lost his ‘confidence’ during the 1995 NBA Playoffs
From 1991 to 1993, the Jordan-led Bulls won three consecutive NBA titles. However, after that run, Mike surprisingly announced his retirement from the league.
But it didn’t take long for him to make a comeback to the league. MJ returned to the team in the middle of the 1994-95 NBA season.
Speaking of which, in the 1995 NBA Playoffs, the ever-so-confident Jordan lost his confidence against the Shaquille O’Neal-led Orlando Magic in the second round.
“One of the reasons why I was there was to help finish the ball game. In trying to do that, I made a critical error that changed the overall momentum of the series,” Jordan said of his Game 1 turnover.
He added: “They came to play, and we were there in the first place to win the game; put them on their back heels, and we could’ve easily taken that series, and yet, in one moment, it changed all over.”
After taking a 1-0 lead vs the Bulls, the Magic sat in the driver’s seat for the entirety of the series as Jordan was not his usual self.
“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,” Mike admitted.
Michael Jordan bounced back the next season
In the 1990s, seeing Jordan lose a playoff series was a rare occurrence. Evidently, Jordan ensured that fans wouldn’t witness another meltdown from him like the Magic series for the rest of his Bulls tenure.
Jordan did so by leading the Bulls to three more NBA titles before retiring for a second time in his career in 1998.
Stats1996 Playoffs1997 Playoffs1998 PlayoffsPoints30.7 PPG31.1 PPG32.4 PPGRebounds4.9 RPG7.9 RPG5.1 RPGAssists4.1 APG4.8 APG3.5 APG
During that stretch, MJ averaged 31.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting a solid 45.9% from the field. He also led the league in points per game during the regular season and the playoffs each year.