In the NBA, everything else takes a backseat whenever Michael Jordan is in the headlines. Back in 1995, the Chicago Bulls’ biggest star ever decided to return to professional basketball, meaning even the best teams in the league at that moment became an afterthought.
One of them was the Orlando Magic, a streaking team that season led by Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. The Bulls were set to face the Magic on March 24, 1995, Jordan’s third official game since coming out of his first retirement.
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Aware that Michael was still not his old, deadly self, the Magic felt that win or lose, the storyline after their clash would be about MJ.
“If we win, everyone will say that Michael’s rusty. If we lose, they’ll say, ‘Michael’s back,'” Magic’s designated shooter Dennis Scott said heading into that game via UPI.
Best way to silence the hype – win
If their team records were to be compared, the Magic were undoubtedly the better team. They sported a 50-17 win-loss record, while the Bulls struggled with a 35-32 record. However, as Scott pointed out, those facts hardly mattered, since it was all about MJ.
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Rather than worry about it, the Magic focused on what was more important – winning. They got a couple of wins in a row before facing the Bulls, so adding another win would be sweeter, especially against Jordan.
The Magic ended up winning that game 106-99, spoiling Jordan’s homecoming at the United Center that year. O’Neal dominated as expected with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Nick Anderson contributed significantly to the Magic victory, finishing with 21 points, including four three-pointers in the first quarter alone.
As for Jordan, his third game was hardly something to cheer about. He finished with 21 points, which was decent but subpar considering MJ was known to score way better than that.
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However, that output was better compared to his first game against the Indiana Pacers, where he finished with only 19 points. His second game, against the Celtics, was a tad better and he finished with 27 points on 9 of 17 shooting from the field.
MJ made up for that in the Bulls’ next two matchups. He scored 32 points against the Atlanta Hawks on March 25 and a season-high 55 points against the New York Knicks on March 28.
From there, the Bulls legend would have an erratic run, struggling to get into form, which was understandable since he only joined the team in March and had not played professionally for a couple of years.
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That season, Jordan averaged 26.9 points on 41 percent shooting from the field in 17 regular-season games.
Magic foiled Bulls’ dream 1995 finish
Ironically, the Bulls and the Magic would face each other again in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Orlando finished off Chicago in six games, ending the Bulls’ season on a sad note.
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For Jordan, that setback hit him hard. He took responsibility for the loss, reflecting on whether his decision to return was made at the right time.
Also, it raised the question of whether the Bulls were prepared to make the adjustments with MJ back on the team. Scottie Pippen shared how some of their teammates felt the added pressure, aware that Jordan wanted everyone to give their best performance all the time.
Given the circumstances, it would have been crazy to think the Bulls would see their 1994-95 campaign end on a high note with Jordan back. Winning championships requires proper preparation. It was the same for MJ, despite his greatness.
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Chicago knew that the following season would be with a better-prepared Jordan. The Bulls were champions again, and that 1995 title would be the start of another historic three-peat run for the Windy City franchise.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 6, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.