Michael Jordan‘s unfathomable stat lines turned him into a one-of-a-kind NBA player. However, this legacy might have been built on fabricated lies with assistance from the 1990s scorekeepers. At least, that’s the claim that’s been making rounds online after a rather unfavorable conversation from the Bulls locker room was revealed.
An NBA supporter recently fueled this narrative on X (formerly Twitter). Uploading a section of Hoops Wire‘s late April article breaking down the same, the fan expressed his negative two cents on the matter. “‘See MJ, we take care of you’ – An NBA scorekeeper from the 90s to Michael Jordan… Nah this is disgusting,” he wrote in the caption.
The article in focus, however, was inspired by Scottie Pippen’s memoir, ‘Unguarded’. The former Chicago Bulls teammate of MJ was the first ever to unearth this instance in 2021. He often devalued Jordan’s achievements in the book, pointing out the latter’s alleged association with scorekeepers.
This lasting controversy has again come to the forefront in the past few days. YahooSports’ Tom Haberstroh recently relied on statistics and inside information to inspect the justification of Jordan’s 1988 Defensive Player of the Year award. Upon doing so, he frequently hinted at MJ’s potential dependency on stat-padding throughout the campaign, especially during home games.
Haberstroh focused on Jordan’s close bond with then-Bulls scorekeeper, Bob Rosenberg. He pointed out how the duo shared “a strong kinship” over the years, prompting the latter to create scrapbooks in honor of MJ. This underlined how Rosenberg possibly contributed to inflating Jordan’s stat line, adding volume to Pippen’s allegation.
This also garnered the attention of the NBA fans, resulting in further mockery of the Black Jesus. Shedding light on the latter’s relationship with Rosenberg, one supporter wrote on X, “Check out the scorekeeper. Buddy even made scrapbooks for that man”.
Amidst the controversies, there remains no doubt over Jordan’s impressive skill set. ‘Black Jesus’ still is as gifted as the tapes show, and his legendary tales are still true. The impact of his endeavors continues to transcend eras while sustaining his status as one of the greatest of all time.
But with the allegations of inflated stats gathering steam, was the epic of Michael Jordan built off scorekeeper favors and admiration from officials? Or did the tweaking of stat lines just amplify an already insurmountable career and legacy?