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Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all time. His numerous accolades, competitive nature and six championship rings put him above any other player that has ever played in the NBA.
Many fans and analysts consider Jordan's 6-0 record in the NBA Finals to be unbeatable. Not only was the shooting guard able to have a perfect record when it mattered the most, but he also carried his team, winning six Finals MVP awards.
However, some fans are not familiar with the early stages of Jordan's impressive basketball career. The basketball legend struggled mightily and couldn't get past the first round for three straight years.
Michael Jordan was eliminated in the first round as a rookie
Jordan made his NBA debut in October 1984 and didn't need much time to become a superstar. During his rookie campaign, the 6-foot-6 guard averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists. He was also amazing on the defensive end of the floor.
The Chicago Bulls, who were 27-55 prior to drafting Jordan, won 38 games in MJ's rookie year. Despite being six games under .500 record, the Bulls made the playoffs and matched up against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
The Bucks had 59 wins in the season and were led by Terry Cummings and Sidney Moncrief. In the best-of-five series, Milwaukee easily outplayed the Bulls 3-1.
In his first-ever series in the NBA playoffs, Michael Jordan averaged 29.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 2.8 steals and a block. In his only win in the series, Jordan scored 35 points and hit a game-winning shot with 22 seconds left in the game.
Jordan was swept in his second year
In his sophomore season in the NBA, Michael Jordan dealt with injury problems. He broke his foot in the third game of the season, missing 64 games in total. The Bulls finished the regular season with 30 wins, yet they still made the playoffs.
MJ and his team faced the Boston Celtics, who ended up winning it all. Led by Larry Bird, who averaged 28-8-8 against the Bulls, Boston ended the series in three games.
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Despite the sweep, the shooting guard was fantastic. He averaged 43.7 points throughout the series, which is very impressive. Jordan also set the record for the most points in a playoff game with 63 in Game 2. The record still stands.
MJ's third and final first-round loss
In the third year of his illustrious NBA career, the Chicago Bulls superstar led the league in scoring with 37.1 points per game. Most importantly, Jordan had no more injury troubles and he appeared in all 82 games.
Led by the shooting guard, the Bulls won 40 games, making the playoffs for the third straight year. Unfortunately, they ran into the Celtics once again.
The Celtics, who were looking to defend their championship title, were favorites to win it all. They had the second-best record in the league, so it's not surprising that they defeated the Bulls.
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Once again, Michael Jordan was amazing, yet the Bulls were swept. In three games, Jordan averaged 35.7 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough.
