It took Michael Jordan six years to get to his first NBA trophy. Although it was a long journey, Jordan never lost hope. He went on to win five more rings during his illustrious career, but the joy of his first title remains unmatched. Chicago-born sportscaster Jim Durham, who witnessed it all unfold in front of his eyes, remembers every moment from the Chicago Bulls locker room. In Roland Lazenby’s book Michael Jordan: The Life, Durham detailed what it was like witnessing MJ break down in tears in the locker room after winning the title.
It was a hard-fought victory for Jordan and the Bulls as they were going against the LA Lakers in the finals. But it wasn’t only about the team for Jordan. He had a lot of people in his life who stood by him through thick and thin, including the people of Chicago. Trying to hold back his tears, Jordan said,
“I’m so happy for my family and this team and this franchise. It’s something I’ve worked seven years for, and I thank God for the talent and the opportunity that I’ve had.”
A lot was riding on Jordan because he had the talent to win the first title for his franchise, but the team was missing out with very little margin over the years. When he finally made it to the top, Jordan, who was notorious for not showing emotions, couldn’t hold back his tears in front of everyone. Now that he had finally kept his promise to the city of Chicago, he could relax his shoulders and celebrate his achievement. Jordan said,
“When I came here, we started from scratch. I vowed we’d make the playoffs every year, and each year we got closer. I always had faith I’d get this ring one day.”
Jordan averaged 31.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 53.9% from the field in 82 games. The Bulls won 61 of the 82 games they played that season. On an individual level, MJ registered one of his most successful seasons winning his second MVP award and his first Finals MVP award. In the NBA Finals, the Bulls beat the Lakers in five games, which kickstarted the greatest era ever in the history of the league.
Magic Johnson never regretted losing to Michael Jordan
It’s rare to see two competitors respect one another like Magic and Jordan. Despite losing to MJ in the 1991 Finals, Magic was all praise for the Bulls legend. He said, “It’s a beautiful feeling…If you’re going to lose, you’re going to lose to them, and I’m going to lose to Michael. That’s how it should be.”
The Lakers legend, on ‘The Last Dance’ docu-series, recalled an emotional moment that the two shared after Jordan won his first title.
Magic said, “When they beat us, we met in between both locker rooms and he just put his arms [out] and just started crying…He was so happy that he had won, that he had busted through. That was a special moment for him and myself.” Magic always saw something special in Jordan. And even though he just got beat by the young star, he could understand that losing to Jordan wasn’t a bad experience.
