NBA legend Michael Jordan dominated in basically every arena he played during his iconic run with the Chicago Bulls.
Jordan played each game like it was his last and left it all on the floor.
Jordan has often admitted that Madison Square Garden was his favorite place to play. His Airness also loved playing on the road more than at home.
During an interview with Golden State Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry at the 2021 Ryder Cup, Jordan talked about why he enjoyed playing on the road while in the NBA.
“I love playing on the road,” Jordan told Curry. “It seems as though your concentration level is much, much better. You know that you’re not expected to win so that you could have the opportunity to prove the unknown. And a lot of times when you play at home, you let your hair down, you get relaxed, you see more friends, you see more family, you gotta worry about tickets, you gotta worry about so many different things. So I always love playing on the road so it minimizes my thought process and I can focus on my craft.”
Two of Jordan’s highest-scoring games took place on the road. The NBA’s all-time leader in points per game relished putting on stellar shows in away arenas so he could silence the home crowd.
In only his sixth playoff game, Jordan dropped a whopping 63 points against the Boston Celtics at the Boston Garden on April 20, 1986. The Bulls superstar shot 22-of-41 from the field and 19-of-21 from the free-throw line.
63 is still the most points ever scored in a postseason game in NBA history.
On March 28, 1990, Jordan topped himself versus the Cleveland Cavaliers by scoring 69 points in a regular-season game. MJ also grabbed 18 rebounds to help the Bulls win by a final score of 117-113.
While Jordan had spectacular games at the Chicago Stadium and United Center, it seemed like he always saved his best performances for the road, especially during the NBA Finals.
Two of Jordan’s most famous games took place against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center: Jordan’s “Flu Game” and his final contest with the Bulls.
Jordan scored 38 points despite dealing with food poisoning in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. He also put up 45 points and hit the game-winning shot in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals.
For his career, Jordan averaged 29.9 points on the road while shooting 48.2% from the field. MJ knew everyone in road arenas paid good money and expected him to play phenomenally and he usually delivered.
Jordan won three NBA championships on the road and three at home with the Bulls. He never shied away from the spotlight and took pride in upsetting fans who cheered against him.
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