The Chicago Bulls retired Michael Jordan’s No. 23 jersey twice, the second time in 1999, a moment that everyone dreaded. The franchise was in a rebuild model, and there was no telling what the future held for the Windy City squad.
Retiring MJ’s legendary number meant no future Bulls player could wear it. As for players on other teams who donned that same jersey number, Bulls general manager Jerry Krause said it would result from Michael’s legendary run with the franchise.
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“Today was a day I had hoped would never come,” Krause stated via UPI. “We think anyone who wears a No. 23 on a basketball uniform would look like a pretender,” Krause added.
The origins of MJ’s no. 23 jersey
As with most, there is a story about why players select a certain number. Some do it out of superstition, but that was not the case with Jordan.
It turns out that Michael chose no. 23 as a tribute to his older brother, Larry Jordan. The elder Jordan actually wore no. 45, and MJ chose to wear no. 23 because he felt he was half as good as Larry.
“My brother wore No. 45, which was my number. So when we was on the same team, we couldn’t wear the same number. So I chose half of what his jersey was, which was 22.5, which I would rather have 23,” Jordan explained.
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MJ’s only other number with the Bulls
In his entire NBA career, there was only one other number that Michael wore – 45. This was when he returned to the NBA in the 1994-1995.
Although Michael’s choice to wear the same number as his older brother seemed understandable, MJ had a different explanation. “Black Cat” said he didn’t want to wear number 23 because his father, James Jordan Sr., was no longer around.
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“I didn’t want to wear 23 because I knew my father wasn’t there to watch me, and I felt it was a new beginning, and 45 was my first number when I was playing in high school,” Jordan explained on Episode 8 of “The Last Dance.”
Unfortunately, something was quite off. Jordan was back, but somehow, the spunk that he had with his former jersey number wasn’t there.
He eventually reverted to his old jersey number in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Orlando Magic. It was his response to critics, but the number change hardly helped. The Magic eliminated the Bulls in six games.
Of course, most know that going deep in the 1995 playoffs was a daunting task regardless of whether MJ had switched back to his old jersey or not. His return showed that he still had the talent. However, he remained rusty and needed to work on his conditioning and timing again.
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From that point forward, “His Airness” wore no. 23 for the rest of his career. He won three more titles with the Bulls. He was the standard, the symbol, and the soul of the team at the time, a reason why the ’90s Bulls became a dynasty.
Overall, Jordan’s No. 23 wasn’t just a number — it became synonymous with excellence. Mike and the Bulls never experienced winning another championship, as both went down different paths.
Was it right for Krause and Bulls management to pull the plug on the Bulls in 1998? Aging players were a good justification. But considering the 1999-2000 season was shortened due to a lockout, a fourth-straight title was within reach.