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Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all time by many fans, analysts and players. Jordan took over the NBA in the 1990s when he won six championships with the Chicago Bulls. If Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are credited for saving the league, "His Airness" was responsible for its rise in popularity around the world.
Jordan accomplished a lot during his 15-year career despite two short retirements in 1993 and 1998. In addition to six NBA titles, he has six NBA Finals MVP trophies, five NBA MVP awards, a 14-time All-Star, a 10-time scoring champion, a former Defensive Player of the Year and a former Rookie of the Year.
MJ also owns the record for most points scored in a playoff game with 63 against the Boston Celtics in 1986. He also has the highest career scoring average in the regular season (30.1 PPG) and playoffs (33.4 PPG), as well as the highest career PER (27.9).
5 impossible to break records held by Michael Jordan
As mentioned above, Michael Jordan holds the record for the highest scoring average in the regular season and playoffs. Those two records could stand the test of time, but the amount of talent and scoring in the NBA leaves the door for future players to break it.
It's better to look at some of MJ's records that need consistency and durability to get broken. Skill and dedication are also likely needed, as well as a little bit of luck. On that note, here are five MJ records that could remain unbreakable for eternity.
#5 - Earning More Money Than His Entire Team
Michael Jordan is the only player in NBA history to earn more money than the rest of his teammates combined. Jordan had a $33.1 million salary for the 1997-98 season after smart negotiations by his agent David Falk. The next two highest-earning Chicago Bulls players that season were Ron Harper and Toni Kukoc with a salary of $4.56 million each.
Scottie Pippen was underpaid for most of his Bulls career and only earned a huge contract after leaving the team after the 1998 season. With the amount of money being earned in the NBA today, no player can have a salary that's higher than an entire roster.
#4 - Winning MVP, DPOY and Scoring Title in one season
Michael Jordan's greatest individual campaign happened during the 1987-88 NBA season. Jordan cemented himself as the best player in the world at the time, winning the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and the scoring title that season. He averaged 35.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 3.2 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game.
MJ also played in all 82 games that season, shooting 53.5% from the field and 84.1% from the free throw line. Hakeem Olajuwon was the closest player to match the feat, while Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo are capable of winning all three. However, Embiid and Giannis have missed a chunk of games in the past two seasons.
#3 - Highest PPG in an NBA Finals series
Rick Barry holds the record for the highest scoring average in the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan is only fourth, but he has the record for an NBA Finals series. He averaged a whopping 41.0 points in six games against Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns in 1993.
Jordan might have taken it personally when Barkley won the league MVP that season. For anyone to break this record, they might have to drop 40 points or more in every game of the NBA Finals. It's much harder to do now especially with the fatigue that comes with a postseason run.
Also Read: What positions did Michael Jordan play? Exploring 6x NBA champion’s stats based on his role
#2 - 6 NBA Finals MVPs
Michael Jordan has six NBA Finals MVP trophies, which is an NBA record. LeBron James is currently in second place with four, but it's hard to see "The King" winning three more at the age of 39 years old. The LA Lakers have a chance this season, but the talent in the entire NBA makes it much harder to achieve.
Another impressive note on Jordan's six NBA Finals MVPs, he won all in a span of eight years and two three-peat teams. Winning a championship three-peat is one of the hardest feats to do in basketball. The Golden State Warriors dynasty that had Steph Curry and Kevin Durant only managed to win back-to-back titles.
#1 - 10 Scoring Titles
Michael Jordan might not have the scoring record, but he'll always be the greatest scorer in NBA history. Jordan won the scoring title 10 times during his career. It shows his consistency throughout his prime years, as well as durability since he barely missed any games when he's not retired.
The closest active player to Jordan's 10 scoring titles is Kevin Durant with four. At the of 35, it will be hard to see KD win seven scoring titles before the end of his career. There are a lot of great scorers in the NBA today, but the hardest thing to do for these guys is to stay consistent, great and healthy for the rest of their careers.
Guess the Lakers players!
