“45 isn't 23”: Why Michael Jordan went back to his old jersey number after being taunted by Nick Anderson in 1995 NBA Playoffs

Michael Jordan had his reasons as to why he wore No. 23 on his jersey, but he had an even bigger reason to switch back from No. 45 to his iconic number after he returned from his first retirement. Fans who watched Episode 8 of "The Last Dance" will remember the announcer saying that the Chicago Bulls icon had put 45 in the mothballs during the 1995 NBA Playoffs, and it had to do with Orlando Magic's Nick Anderson who awoke the sleeping beast.

Playing the Magic in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Bulls lost Game 1 in Orlando and Jordan had two turnovers in the final minutes of what was a close contest. Horace Grant, his former teammate who played for the Magic that season, relived how Anderson decided to take a shot at the Bulls legend:

"45 isn't 23."

Grant couldn't believe what he heard, and as soon as he did, he knew Anderson made a mistake.

Jordan came out with 23 in Game 2 and dished out a 38-point performance coupled with seven rebounds, three assists, four blocks, and four steals. The Bulls won 104-94 to even the series, but eventually lost out as Orlando pipped them 4-2.

As for the jersey, Michael Jordan wore 23 for the rest of his decorated career and went on to win three more championships with the Chicago Bulls after his first retirement comeback.

Michael Jordan explained why he sported 45 on his jersey when he decided to come out of retirement

When he returned to play NBA in 1995, Michael Jordan surprised the world with a different jersey number. 45 took over — one he wore during his formative years at Laney High School:

“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."

However, it was familiar territory for the superstar who had to quickly hit his straps to help the Bulls make a deeper run in the playoffs. And it didn't help that his body was conditioned to baseball. There was enough rust and Jordan even had his shorts backwards in his comeback game.

But in the end, all it took was one taunt from Anderson to get Jordan to realize that 45 was not 23 indeed and didn't have the same natural feeling he did with 23.

The Orlando Magic may have had the better of Chicago that season, but that would be the last of it as the Bulls showcased their supremacy for the next three years with Michael Jordan leading the pack.