Golden State head coach Steve Kerr has revealed why Michael Jordan retired for the first time in his career to pursue a baseball career. That was a shocking move for everybody; Jordan had just three-peated with the Bulls for the first time, but he decided to call it quits before the start of the 1993-94 season, only to make his return to the league the next campaign.
This has to be one of the most notable moments not only for Jordan but the NBA in general and Kerr took his time to explain why that happened in that way. Speaking with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols on The Jump, the multiple NBA champion gave some insights on MJ’s controversial move just after he won back-to-back-to-back NBA titles.
Always a smart conversation with @SteveKerr on #TheJump – he told us why he thinks MJ really left to play baseball, about Scottie's battles with Jerry Krause & if the Warriors (who already have the best odds for the No. 1 pick) would rather call this season/start fresh next year pic.twitter.com/8CRtumXBHm
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 21, 2020
“I will always maintain that the reason he went and played baseball was because he was fried emotionally from the scrutiny that really only he felt,” Kerr said on Wednesday. “Just watching him, by the time I got there, watching the life that he led compared to everybody else — it was insane.”
“I think he had had enough and just stepped away for a little while and then came back and was ready to roll,” Kerr added.
This is not the first time Kerr has stated this. Back in March, he claimed that Jordan taking a break from basketball actually helped him return in better shape and stronger, which would ultimately lead to the Bulls winning another three consecutive titles.
“To me, the reason we won the second three was because he got away and recharged his batteries,” he said. “He needed it, desperately. And that’s why he left. He was just burned out. There were all of these theories: Did David Stern tell him you can’t play? Like, yeah, that would be very smart – the greatest player ever and we’re going to punish him for gambling or whatever? What are we even talking about? That’s dumb. All of those conspiracy theories were dumb. Bottom line was, he was fried. Going through a lot with his father’s death. Just getting away for two years, recharged his batteries and got him ready for the next three,” Kerr told David Aldridge and Michael Lee of The Athletic.
MJ has earned a lot of attention in recent days after his 10-part docuseries debuted last Sunday. This weekend we’ll get to see episodes 3 and 4 of ‘The Last Dance’, which will bring more comments and debates regarding the GOAT and his career.
