Michael Jordan was a highly influencial player of the basketball game during the '90's. After playing for nine seasons, he decided to retire from the game on this day (6 October) in 1993. In the nine seasons he played he won three Championships.
In 1993, Jordan was the biggest thing in the world. He’d vaulted way past stardom to something completely different, a new club with a handful of members. He’d made Nike into a colossus and he’d done the same with the Bulls.
With his voracious need not just to win but to conquer, Chicago would keep winning championships for a very long time. No one outside his circle believed he’d walk away from the game, the competition, the chance to show, night after night, how dominant he stood over the NBA landscape.
Yet, four months later, on 6 October 1993, after winning his third straight title with the Bulls, Michael Jordan — only 30 years old — walked away, retiring from the NBA after nine seasons.
It had been a harrowing few weeks for Jordan, even after the ultimate triumph of Chicago beating Phoenix in six games. A month later, Jordan’s father, James, disappeared while driving back from a funeral in Wilmington, North Carolina, to his home in Charlotte. The next day, James was scheduled to fly to Chicago for a charity event but he didn’t make the flight. Hours, then days, went by without James contacting anyone in the family.
On 3 August, James Jordan’s body was found in a creek near McColl, South Carolina. He had been murdered, shot in the chest, likely in his car, as he slept on the side of a highway.
Two teenagers, who’d made several phone calls from the car phone inside James’ Lexus, were arrested. One pled guilty to the murder charge against him and agreed to testify against the other. Both were sentenced to life in prison for the murder.
James’ death shattered Michael’s world. He was as close to his father as a son could be. They shared the same mannerisms, including the famous tongue that came out when each was working. In 1993, reporters often sought out James’ observations while his famous son shut out the media.
His dad had been with him during each of the Bulls’ championship runs. Andrew Bernstein’s iconic photo of a weeping Jordan, cradling the Larry O’Brien Trophy after Chicago’s first championship over the Lakers in 1991, shows James next to his son as always.
On 6 October, there was Jordan, in a suit at a podium at The Berto Center with his then-wife, Juanita; commissioner, David Stern; Bulls governor, Jerry Reinsdorf; general manager, Jerry Krause and head coach, Phil Jackson all sitting beside him, along with many of Jordan’s team-mates — from Scottie Pippen to Bill Cartwright and John Paxson — in attendance.
Jordan said he’d lost the, "sense of motivation" to keep playing. "It’s not because I don’t love the game," he said during his news conference. "I love the game of basketball. I always will. I just feel that, at this particular time in my career, I have reached the pinnacle of my career. I have achieved a lot in that short amount of time if you want to call it short. But, I just feel that I don’t have anything else for myself to prove."
Jordan said he probably would've opted to leave even if his father was still alive, that he had been thinking about walking away for some time. He told his dad he was leaning toward retiring after beating the Suns. He left some ambiguity about a potential return to basketball.
"Will I ever unretire? I don’t know," he said. "If I desire to come back and play again, maybe that’s what I want to do. Maybe that’s the challenge that I may need someday down the road. I’m not going to close that door."
He also made it clear that he was still angry with the media. "I’ve always said that I would never let you guys run me out of the game," he said. "So don’t think that you’ve done that. This is my choice."
In 1993, Monica Seles was stabbed on the court by a spectator; Arthur Ashe died of AIDS; Jim Valvano of cancer. One NBA All-Star and one All-NBA selection died, as did two pitchers for the Cleveland Indians. The entire Zambia national football team perished in a plane crash. James Jordan was murdered.
On the fields of play: Joe Carter won the World Series with a walk-off home run, only the second such World Series winner. Don Shula broke George Halas’s all-time NFL coaching wins mark. John Paxson hit a three-pointer to give the Bulls the NBA’s first three-peat since Russell. Wayne Gretzky finally took the Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals. Chris Webber called timeout. Mario Lemieux returned from Hodgkin’s treatment.
Among those who were champions: Sheryl Swoopes; Steffi Graf; Emmitt Smith; Pete Sampras; Dale Jarrett and Greg Norman. When the Associated Press asked sports media members to vote for the AP Sports Story of the Year, there was one easy choice:
The surprise retirement of Michael Jeffrey Jordan.
Michael Jordan’s 1993 retirement still captures the imagination; just as it did that startling morning many moons ago. Today, his retirement means many things to many people — it is part of the GOAT debate, used for or against him, depending on the party; it is a conspiracy theory; it is a mystery; it's a curiosity.
While there were signs that a retirement was coming — and suspicions that it wouldn’t last long — in the moment, on that morning, nothing could have been more unsettling.
When news broke of Jordan’s retirement, many were puzzled by the timing and the reasons given. Jordan cited a loss of desire to play basketball and the tragic murder of his father as the primary motivations for stepping away from the game. However, this explanation didn’t quell the rumours that something more significant was at play. Speculations ranged from alleged gambling issues to hidden suspensions orchestrated by the NBA.
The Gambling Controversy: one prevailing theory that gained traction was Jordan’s alleged gambling habit. Reports surfaced suggesting that his association with high-stakes gambling and his frequent trips to Atlantic City drew the attention of the league and Commissioner, David Stern. Some believed that the NBA, concerned about the potential tarnishing of it's image, orchestrated a secret suspension disguised as a retirement to protect its star player and the league’s reputation.
The Lack of Concrete Evidence: despite the widespread rumours, no concrete evidence has ever emerged to substantiate the secret suspension theory. Jordan, himself, has consistently denied any forced retirement or suspension, reiterating his own reasons for stepping away from the game. However, skeptics argue that the lack of evidence shouldn’t dismiss the possibility of a well-executed cover-up by the NBA and it's officials.
Following his retirement, Jordan surprised the world once again by pursuing a career in professional baseball. This move only added fuel to the speculation fire, with some suggesting that it was part of a carefully orchestrated plan to keep Jordan out of the basketball spotlight during his suspension period.
Decades later, the question of whether Michael Jordan’s first retirement was a secret suspension remains unanswered. The theories and debates continue to divide fans and analysts, with some firmly believing in the conspiracy while others dismiss it as mere speculation. Perhaps the truth will never be fully known, as the secrets of behind-the-scenes NBA decisions often remain tightly guarded.
However, as all sports fans know, Jordan didn't retire for good. In March 1995, Jordan decided to quit baseball because he feared he might become a replacement player during the Major League Baseball strike. On 18 March 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA in a two-word press release: "I'm back."
The next day, Jordan took to the court with the Bulls to face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring 19 points. The game had the highest Nielsen rating of any regular season NBA game since 1975. Although he could have worn his original number (the Bulls retired it), Jordan wore No. 45, his baseball number.
Despite his 18-month hiatus from the NBA, Jordan played well, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. He scored 55 points in his next game, against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on 28 March1995. Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls went 13–4 to make the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Orlando Magic.
At the end of Game 1, Orlando's Nick Anderson stripped Jordan from behind, leading to the game-winning basket for the Magic; he later commented that Jordan "didn't look like the old Michael Jordan," and said, "No. 45 doesn't explode like No. 23 used to."
Jordan responded by scoring 38 points in the next game, which Chicago won. Before the game, Jordan decided that he would immediately resume wearing his former No. 23. The Bulls were fined $25 000 for failing to report the impromptu number change to the NBA. Jordan was fined an additional $5 000 for opting to wear white sneakers when the rest of the Bulls wore black. He averaged 31 ppg in the playoffs, but Orlando won the series in six games.
With Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the pending departures of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman looming and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced lockout of NBA players, Jordan retired for the second time on 13 January 1999.
On 19 January 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA, not as a player but as part owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards. Jordan's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive, as he controlled all aspects of the Wizards' basketball operations and had the final say in all personnel matters; opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed.
He managed to purge the team of several highly paid, unpopular players (like forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland) but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA draft to select high school student Kwame Brown, who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons.
Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" he would never play another NBA game, Jordan expressed interest in making another comeback in the summer of 2001, this time with his new team. Inspired by the NHL comeback of his friend, Mario Lemieux the previous winter, Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago. Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins, as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return.
On 25 September 2001, Jordan announced his return to the NBA to play for the Washington Wizards, indicating his intention to donate his salary as a player to a relief effort for the victims of the September 11 attacks.
In an injury-plagued 2001–02 season, Jordan led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (1.4 spg) and was an MVP candidate, as he led the Wizards to a winning record and play-off contention; Jordan would eventually finish 13th in the MVP ballot.
After he suffered a torn cartilage in his right knee and subsequent knee soreness, the Wizards missed the play-offs and Jordan's season ended after only 60 games; the fewest he had played in a regular season since playing 17 games after returning from his first retirement during the 1994–95 season.
Playing in his 14th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2003, Jordan passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history, a record since broken by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
That year, Jordan was the only Washington player to play in all 82 games, starting in 67 of them as he came off the bench in 15. Jordan averaged 20.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.8 assists and 1.5 spg per game. He also shot 45% from the field and 82% from the free-throw line.
Although Jordan turned 40 during the season, he scored 20 or more points 42 times, 30 or more points nine times and 40 or more points three times. On 21 February 2003, Jordan became the first 40-year-old to tally 43 points in an NBA game.
During his stint with the Wizards, all of Jordan's home games at the MCI Center were sold out and the Wizards were the second most-watched team in the NBA, averaging 20 172 fans a game at home and 19 311 on the road.
Jordan's final two seasons didn't result in a play-off appearance for the Wizards and he was often unsatisfied with the play of those around him. At several points, Jordan openly criticised his team-mates to the media, citing their lack of focus and intensity, notably that of Kwame Brown, the number-one draft pick in the 2001 NBA draft.
With the recognition that 2002–03 would be Jordan's final season, tributes were paid to him throughout the NBA. In his final game at the United Center in Chicago, which was his old home court, Jordan received a four-minute standing ovation.
The Miami Heat retired the No. 23 jersey on 11 April 2003, even though Jordan never played for the team. At the 2003 All-Star Game, Jordan was offered a starting spot from Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson but refused both; he accepted the spot of Vince Carter.
Jordan played in his final NBA game on 16 April 2003, in Philadelphia. After scoring 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds left in the third quarter and his team trailing the Philadelphia 76ers 75–56.
Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the First Union Center crowd began chanting "We want Mike!" After much encouragement from coach, Doug Collins, Jordan finally rose from the bench and re-entered the game, replacing Larry Hughes with 2:35 remaining. At 1:45, Jordan was intentionally fouled by the 76ers' Eric Snow and stepped to the line to make both free throws. After the second foul shot, the 76ers in-bounded the ball to rookie John Salmons, who, in turn, was intentionally fouled by Bobby Simmons one second later, stopping time so that Jordan could return to the bench. He received a three-minute standing ovation from his team-mates, his opponents, the officials and the crowd of 21 257 fans.
While he is a legend, I don't agree with the multiple retirements. In my view, once a player retires, they should stay retired. Whether it's enforced or not, once they retire, they should stay in that state. Repeatedly retiring and un-retiring can be very exhausting to both fans and media as the unpredictability of a player increases and you can't determine what will come next. It's an unneeded headache.
"If you love the guy, set him free. If he comes back, it was meant to be."
— a 27-year-old Bulls fan at Oz Park, Lincoln Park, 6 October 1993.