NBA icon Michael Jordan had no interest in playing for the New York Knicks despite Madison Square Garden being his favorite place to play.
“Nah, that’s all right,” Jordan told SLAM in 1997. “You guys got to do it on your own.”
Jordan was an unrestricted free agent in 1996 and 1997. He could have left the Chicago Bulls for the Knicks.
However, MJ remained with Chicago despite loving MSG.
“Yeah, I love it…’cause the history—everybody knows about basketball in New York City,” Jordan said. “And this is where you come see the best basketball played. That’s what Madison Square Garden’s always meant to me. And they’re very loyal to their fans, yet they’re very honorable about good basketball. Even if I go in there and have a big game, they’re gonna cheer my efforts, but still have loyalty and want to see their team win. And that’s New York fans.”
Jordan scored 55 points at MSG on March 28, 1995. The NBA legend always put on a show in New York.
“Every time I put up a big game in New York, it’s paying tribute to the respect they pay me,” Jordan said. “There’s some people that don’t want to see me come there. But…tough shit. I love playing there.”
Jordan averaged 31.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 60 games against the Knicks during his Hall of Fame career.
The Bulls and Knicks faced each other five times in the playoffs during the Jordan era. Chicago won each series.
The only time New York won versus Chicago was in 1994 when Jordan was playing baseball.
Along with winning six rings, six Finals MVPs and five regular-season MVPs with the Bulls, Jordan averaged 31.5 points and won 10 scoring titles, three steals titles and one Defensive Player of the Year Award. He is one of three players in NBA history to win MVP and DPOY in the same season.
Jordan has career averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks with the Bulls and Washington Wizards. He is universally recognized as the best player of all time.
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