February 10, 1985, the day of the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, was snowy and cold in Indianapolis. Five inches of snow were on the ground by 7 a.m., and another three inches would fall before tipoff at the Hoosier Dome.
But Michael Jordan, fresh out of the University of North Carolina and in the middle of his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, wasn’t going to let a bit of snow stop him from playing in his first All-Star Game.
Most, if not all, of the coaches and players in Indy’s first All-Star Game — including MJ — were staying at the downtown Hyatt. And most, if not all, of those coaches and players hopped in a cab, limo, or hired car for the short trip to the Hoosier Dome.
Michael Jordan, however, did not.
News 8 caught up with MJ outside his hotel. There, the rookie — bundled in a puffy fur coat — explained that he would walk the two blocks from the hotel to the dome. And that he’d be ready to play when he arrived.
“I just wanna win. I wanna go out and do well. This is my first All-Star Game, so I’m not really worried about points, you know? I just wanna get out there and play,” Jordan explained.
And then, in a puff of brown fur, the future six-time NBA champion was gone.
Michael Jordan braved the snow and the slush and the cold and made the short walk to the Hoosier Dome, where he put up 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists in his first All-Star appearance.
But MJ wasn’t the only person who walked to the Hoosier Dome that day.
News 8 caught up with Pat Riley, leader of the “Showtime” Lakers and coach of Team West, farther down the sidewalk.
Like MJ, Riley was also dressed for the weather.
“It’s snowing outside. Only idiots from California would not wear a coat in the snow,” Riley said. “You know, I have to worry about my hair and everything today, you know? It’s national television, so no, we’re definitely going to cab it over there.”
Or so he thought.
The legendary Lakers coach took one look at the snarled downtown traffic and he, too, decided to walk.
The short trek to the Hoosier Dome didn’t have an impact on Riley’s coaching abilities. He led Magic, Kareem, and Hakeem (Olajuwan, that is) to a 154-149 win over Michael Jordan and the Eastern Conference All-Stars.
Not bad for a night that started with a two-block walk in the snow.