Nearly three decades after the 1992 Eastern Conference semifinals between the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks, the former point guard of the latter team, Mark Jackson, reflected on the matchup.
Making an appearance on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast, Jackson recalled how he and his fellow Knicks players, known for their physical play, tried to assert themselves — though the tactic ultimately failed. The reason, he explained, was none other than the Bulls guard wearing No. 23: Michael Jordan.
The Knicks’ mission to contain Jordan
When it comes to punishing physical teams Jordan faced during his storied NBA career, the Detroit Pistons — nicknamed the “Bad Boys” with good reason — likely come to mind first. Yet the Knicks in the early 1990s, with Jackson on the roster since the 1987 Draft, did everything they could to make their case too.
Jackson would certainly agree, recalling how New York’s hard-nosed style defined its identity at the time. He also said that heading into the 1992 series against the Jordan-led Bulls, the Knicks nad no intention of changing that approach.
“We were on a mission to physically beat them up,” he said, noting that the roster, boasting a rugged, intimidating core with Xavier McDaniel, Charles Smith and Patrick Ewing, was built for it.
Not only was the Knicks‘ mindset clearly defined before the tip-off against the Bulls, but so was their strategy. Jackson recalled that after studying the scouting report, the team, led by legendary head coach Pat Riley, had carefully planned defensive schemes to contain the Bulls, for instance, by funneling them in different directions on the floor.
Jordan’s brilliance through Jackson’s eyes
Heading into Game 1, the Knicks believed they were ready to seize the series, and that confidence seemed justified when they stole a 94-89 win on the road. However, they soon learned that some players grow stronger the more resistance they face, as Jordan proved by emerging as the top scorer in five of the next six matchups, averaging 31.3 points per contest after the opening loss.
Reflecting on what prompted that takeover, Jackson stressed it wasn’t a lack of fight from New York but the brilliance of the soon-to-be basketball icon.
“He (Jordan) had an answer for every single thing we put forth and physically he was more than willing to go through whatever he had to go through to win,” he said.
Ultimately, behind Jordan’s mastery, the Bulls, who had drafted the 6’6″ swingman in 1984, survived the seven-game thriller. Sure, Jordan did have help from teammates like Scottie Pippen, but Jackson maintained it was number 23 who single-handedly won the series.
Having had a front-row seat to that, Jackson didn’t harbor resentment but said it made him realize what true competitiveness looks like. He called himself a fierce competitor, yet compared with Jordan — and the late Kobe Bryant — he admitted they were “willing to leave it all on the court” and that he was convinced they would even “drop dead on the floor” if that’s what it took to win.
Jordan proved exactly that in the Knicks series and then raised the bar even higher as the playoffs unfolded — first in the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, then in the NBA Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, where he dominated for the championship-winning Bulls and ultimately claimed Finals MVP honors.