At the peak of his career, Michael Jordan announced his retirement from the NBA after the 1997-98 season, when the five-time champion Chicago Bulls fell apart under Jerry Krause. Throughout the season, MJ proved he would leave the NBA as “the man,” proving his point powerfully.
During this season, “His Airness”‘s mesmerizing performance saw him average over 40 points per game in three weeks. Charles Barkley’s Houston Rockets were one of the teams that suffered at his hands. Interestingly, after this game, Barkley discovered an unpleasant side to his good friend’s personality.
The friendship between Barkley and Jordan lasted until 2012, when the 76ers legend questioned Jordan’s effectiveness as an owner and his role on the Charlotte Hornets’ board of directors as an analyst.
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Michael Jordan’s pre-NBA Finals surprise: $20,000 diamond earrings for Charles Barkley
Before the NBA Finals, basketball legend Michael Jordan unexpectedly gave rival player Charles Barkley a diamond earring worth $20,000. According to former Chicago Bulls assistant coach Johnny Bach, the generous gesture occurred after a golf match between Games 3 and 4 of the 1993 NBA Finals.
However, Jordan was not motivated by simple generosity but had ulterior motives. When Bach asked about his surprising talent, Jordan admitted it was part of a psychological strategy against Barkley. He is under the impression that this mind game will prevent Barkley from posing a significant challenge throughout the series. Although this gift is large, for a person of Jordan’s level, $20,000 is simply negligible.
Jordan’s strategy appears to be paying off. In Game 4 against Barkley’s Phoenix Suns, Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to victory, scoring a personal record 55 points in the NBA Finals.
Despite losing Game 5, in which Jordan scored 41 points, he fought back with 33 points in Game 6 to help the Bulls win the tournament – marking their third consecutive championship and the franchise’s second. The start of one of the three defenders. Two consecutive championships in the Jordan era. Barkley scored 32 points, 24 points and 21 points respectively in the last three games, and also achieved a triple-double in the fourth game.
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