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Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. Almost two decades after MJ retired, many still consider him the best. Jordan retired in October 1993. The Chicago Bulls legend had won three straight championship rings.
MJ decided to return to the NBA with two words, "I'm back." The iconic quote shaped Michael Jordan's illustrious career.
Achieving a three-peat is a rare feat in the NBA. It has only happened five times in the entire history of the league. Michael Jordan was part of two of these three-peats. Jordan averaged 31.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game in that span.
However, he still decided to retire and join Minor League Baseball in 1993. The Bulls legend, who led the league in scoring for seven straight years, claimed that he lost the desire to play basketball. He left the league as a nine-time All-Star and three-time MVP.
His absence from the NBA did not last long. A year and a half later, Michael Jordan announced his return to basketball by simply saying, "I'm back."
Jordan's first game since returning was against the Indiana Pacers. The Bulls lost by seven points after MJ's 19-point performance. However, he quickly bounced back and averaged 27.4 points per game for the remainder of the regular season.
After the game against the Pacers, here is what Jordan had to say regarding his return:
"I'm back for the love of the game," the NBA legend said. "I hope Pip and BJ and Phil all are back, but it's not my place to make those decisions. I'm back for the love of the game."
The Bulls managed to keep their key pieces, winning another championship in 1996. This title was the start of another three-peat. MJ did not need long to bounce back and dominate the league.
Michael Jordan and the love of the game
Michael Jordan was in love with basketball. His contract had a special "love of the game" clause, allowing him to play basketball wherever and whenever he wanted.
While this clause was risky for the Chicago Bulls, it made Jordan happy. A happy Jordan produced two more MVP awards and three more All-Star games with the Bulls.
