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Six-time NBA Champion Michael Jordan has had one of the most celebrated careers in the league. During his span with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he spent the chunk of his career, Jordan established himself as a force to watch out for.
He displayed scoring prowess right from his rookie year, but took some time to make the NBA Finals. But once he won his first title in 1991 after sweeping the Detroit Pistons in four games, Jordan went on to win six championships from as many finals appearances.
After a second three-peat with the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan decided to retire from the sport and did not play for as long as three years. At the age of 38, in 2001, Jordan made a return to the NBA, donning different colors this time around.
A year prior to that, he was hired to be the Washington Wizards’ new President of Basketball Operations, also owning a 20% stake. Soon after, Jordan felt he could better help the Wizards by lacing up and making his way to the court, which led to him signing a two-year contract with the franchise.
In the two seasons, Michael Jordan played 142 games, averaging 21.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists. While he had moments of brilliance, putting up multiple 40-point games, the team did not make the playoffs in either of the seasons. The aging Jordan played pretty well for his age, scoring 30 or more points in 25 games across the two seasons.
On that note, let’s take a look at his top three scoring performances for the Wizards.
Michael Jordan's top 3 scoring performaces with the Wizards in terms of FG%
#3 vs Cleveland Cavaliers – 2001-02 - 62.1 FG%
On January 24th, 2002, Michael Jordan gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a glimpse of his old self, scoring at will to help the Wizards win 94-85. Jordan played 40 minutes and scored 40 points, making 18 of his 29 attempts from the field.
Along with a respectable 62.1% shooting night, Jordan grabbed eight rebounds and dished out two assists.
It was Jordan’s first 40-point game for the Wizards, as the Cavaliers’ defenders were unable to put clamps on him.
#2 vs Los Angeles Lakers – 2002-03 – 64.3 FG%
On November 8, 2002, Michael Jordan suited-up for the Wizards to take on the late Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers. Jordan started off the season coming off the bench and so was the case against the Lakers as well, but he was still a reliable piece in their offense.
Jordan played 30 minutes off the bench, scoring 25 points, grabbing three rebounds, and dishing out three assists. On that night, he scored nine of his fourteen attempted field goals, shooting 64.3% on the night.
In a tightly contested match-up, the Wizards secured a 100-99 win, with Jerry Stackhouse making the winning play.
#1 vs Atlanta Hawks – 2002-03 – 66.7 FG%
The Atlanta Hawks were set to host Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards at the Philips Arena on December 17, 2002. The Hawks’ Glenn Robinson started the game strong, going neck-to-neck in scoring against Jordan. But Jordan was on a mission that night, as he dropped 30 points while shooting 66.7% from the field.
Robinson outscored Jordan by three points, but the Hawks fell 99-109 to the Wizards to register their 14th loss of the season. Jordan’s contribution, along with Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes combing for 43 points, helped the Wizards get their 11th win of the season.
Guess the Lakers players!
