"What if I’d been here a whole season? What if I’d been here last season?" - Michael Jordan took the 1995 ECF defeat to the Magic personally, blaming himself for the Bulls' loss

“What if I’d been here a whole season? What if I’d been here last season?” – Michael Jordan took the 1995 ECF defeat to the Magic personally, blaming himself for the Bulls’ loss originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Michael Jordan is a ultimate competitor, which is why the Chicago Bulls were so successful in the 90s. MJ helped the Bulls win six titles, although it could have been more had he not chosen to step away from basketball. Most know how MJ briefly retired to focus on baseball. After more than a year, the 6-foot-6 guard realized he still loved the game of basketball. He returned to the Bulls in 1995 but was far from the Jordan most knew.

MJ blamed himself for the Bulls loss to the Magic

Despite his talent, it was not enough for Jordan to lead the Bulls back to the championship. They were ousted by the young and dynamic Orlando Magic in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals in six games, something that Michael took hard on himself. He blamed himself for the state of the franchise at the time, wondering if things would have been different.

“It’s very disappointing,” Jordan said after the defeat via the Washington Post. “I’ve got a whole summer to say what if. What if I made the jump shots down the stretch? What if I’d been here a whole season? What if I’d been here last season?”

Jordan cannot be faulted for being disappointed at falling short of possibly reaching the finals in 1995. However, he was out of shape after returning to action a few months before the postseason. He played only 17 regular-season and 10 postseason games in the 1994-95 season.

Even if MJ delivered decent numbers in that sudden return, they were still below his usual averages. Typically averaging more than 30 points per game, the North Carolina product averaged only 26.9 points in the regular season. Jordan did improve in the playoffs by elevating his performance to a 31.5 points average. However, compared to previous seasons, this has been a significant dip since the 1986 playoffs, when he first made it to the playoffs.

A hard reality check of MJ

When Jordan made those remarks, it was likely because he knew the Bulls were better than that. Losing to a younger and inexperienced team was a hard pill to swallow. But then again, being prepared was important. Jordan admitted he rushed his return to basketball and was not the same basketball player that most knew then.

“Deep down, I wanted it; I wanted to be ready, but I don’t think I was really ready for my basketball comeback,” Jordan said.

Hence, loving the game and wanting to pick up where he left off is a tall order. Jordan was good, but even the best athletes in the world needed to prepare for tough battles.

Picking up and redemption in 1996

Realizing his return was abrupt and the time for him to recall his old form was limited, the only logical thing for Michael to do was seek redemption in the 1995-96 season. Jordan put in the work in the offseason, extremely excited to jump back into action, but this time ready and prepared.

“I couldn’t wait for the 1995-96 season to start,” he said in his 1998 autobiography, “For the Love of the Game: My Story.” “I knew my game had come back with all the work I put in over the summer. I felt like a kid coming out of college with something to prove.”

Being better prepared and meshing once more with his teammates, the Bulls were back and rolling through the opposition. By the end of the regular season, Chicago ended up with a historic 72-10 win-loss record. That feat was the best NBA regular season record for 20 years until the Golden State Warriors broke it in 2016 with a 73-9 win-loss card.

Beyond that, however, the Bulls’ postseason run was sweeter. They practically ran through their opponents in the playoffs, losing only three games in total. Two of those losses were in the finals against the Seattle Supersonics. Regardless, it hardly mattered as the Bulls won in six games for their fourth NBA title.

For MJ, he also won his fourth regular-season MVP and Finals MVP that year. It also sparked another three-peat run for Jordan and the Bulls, establishing themselves as one of the top teams the league had ever seen.

Jordan wasn’t able to win those championships by himself, but he was arguably the biggest factor in those runs. However, all that was only possible if he was focused and well-prepared—a reason why opposing players found it impossible to stop him from taking flight and regaining full supremacy in the NBA.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 17, 2025, where it first appeared.

“What if I’d been here a whole season? What if I’d been here last season?” – Michael Jordan took the 1995 ECF defeat to the Magic personally, blaming himself for the Bulls’ loss

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