Michael Jordan’s Career Playoff Record Against 20 NBA Stars

One of the many reasons Michael Jordan is considered the greatest player in NBA history is his tremendous track record in the playoffs. He led the Bulls to six championships in six tries while winning an NBA-record six Finals MVP awards in the process. However, Jordan wasn’t always successful when it came to playoff basketball and struggled early on in his career against some of the biggest names in the game until he got a taste of what winning felt like in 1991. 

Today, we are going to take a look at Michael Jordan’s playoff record against 20 different NBA stars he faced during his career. We have already taken a peak at his overall record against former NBA legends. Now, it is time to take a deeper look into his and the Chicago Bulls’ success throughout his 13-year career with the team from 1985 through 1998.

This is Michael Jordan’s playoff record against 20 NBA stars.

20. Larry Bird – 0-6 (0-2 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Larry Bird: 39.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.8 APG, 2.2 SPG, 1.8 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1986 Eastern Conference First Round 0-3

1987 Eastern Conference First Round 0-3

One of the biggest blemishes on Michael Jordan’s career playoff resume is his winless effort in two tries against Larry Bird. Jordan and the Bulls lost all six of their playoff games to Larry Bird’s Celtics during the 1980s, a record that also holds true for Bird’s legendary teammate Kevin McHale.

The first time these two legends met in the NBA playoffs would be in the first round of the 1986 playoffs. The Celtics would go on to sweep the Bulls in six games behind 28.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game for Bird. However, in Game 2 of the series, Jordan would drop an NBA-record 63 points in the game, prompting Bird to refer to MJ as “God disguised as Michael Jordan. Bird and the Celtics would go on to win the NBA title that season.

The following year, Bird and the Celtics would meet Jordan and the Bulls once again in the first round of the playoffs with similar results. Once again, the Celtics swept the Bulls in three games behind 26.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game from Larry Legend. Jordan would do his best to keep Chicago competitive with 35.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. Alas, Jordan never recorded a single playoff win against Bird in his career.

19. Sidney Moncrief – 1-3 (0-1 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Sidney Moncrief: 29.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 8.5 APG, 2.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1985 Eastern Conference First Round 1-3

As one of the best defenders of the 19809s, Sidney Moncrief and the Milwaukee Bucks would meet Michael Jordan and the Bulls just once in their careers in the NBA playoffs. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year Moncrief gave Jordan all he could handle on both sides of the ball and is credited for giving Jordan his first real “Welcome to the NBA” playoff moments.

In the 1985 First Round, Moncrief and the Bucks would take care of Jordan and the Bulls in four games, relinquishing one game to Chicago in the process. Moncrief was the second-leading scorer for the Bulls in this one with 26.5 points per game along with 4.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. Terry Cummings led all scorers with 29.5 points per game and it is the only time Michael Jordan would ever be outscored in a playoff series in his career.

Jordan averaged 29.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game in the series while only two of his teammates, Orlando Woolridge and Quintin Dailey, averaged over 15.0 points per game for the series.

18. Horace Grant – 3-4 (1-1 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Horace Grant: 29.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.4 SPG, 1.6 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2-4

1996 Eastern Conference Finals 4-0

Michael Jordan and Horace Grant enjoyed some great times as teammates together from 1988 through 1993. They won three straight NBA championships together from 1991 through 1993 before Jordan headed off into retirement before the 1993-94 season began. While Jordan was away, Grant played one more season with Chicago before joining the Orlando Magic for the 1994-95 season which would lead to a grudge match of sorts between the two down the line.

When Jordan returned to the Bulls in 1995, he played just 17 regular season games before the NBA playoffs began. Jordan and the Bulls got by their first-round matchup with ease, setting up a star-studded matchup with the Orlando Magic in round two. Unfortunately, Chicago had no answers for Shaquille O’Neal or for Grant’s interior presence and the Magic would defeat Chicago in six games. Grant averaged 18.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in the series while Jordan averaged 31.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game

The following season, the two teams would meet again, this time in the Eastern Conference Finals. Grant would play just one game of the series before going down with an injury and missing the rest of the action. Jordan would lead Chicago to a sweep of Orlando in that series and led Chicago to their fourth NBA title in the Finals.

17. Danny Ainge 8-10 (2-2 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Danny Ainge: 38.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1986 Eastern Conference First Round 0-3

1987 Eastern Conference First Round 0-3

1992 NBA Finals 4-2

1993 NBA Finals 4-2

Michael Jordan and Danny Ainge were fierce rivals on the court for most of their careers during the 1980s and 1990s. Ainge was always known as a firecracker, ready to explode at any minute, and an antagonist who tried to throw Jordan off of his game with any antics he could. Most of the time, regardless of team success, it did not work out for Ainge on an individual level.

Ainge was a part of both the 1986 and 1987 Boston Celtics teams that swept Jordan and Chicago out of the NBA playoffs in the first round. While Ainge was not a big factor numbers-wise, his defense and psychological mind games were enough to ruffle feathers for most of the Bulls lineup.

The next time these players would meet in the NBA playoffs would be in the 1992 NBA Finals as Ainge was now with the Portland Trail Blazers. Jordan would torch the Blazers in six games with 35.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. In 1993, and Ainge now with the Suns, Jordan would face off with him once again in the NBA Finals. Things got even worse for Ainge on the court as Jordan set an unbreakable NBA record averaging 41.0 points per game for the series, winning his third straight title and Finals MVP award.

16. Isiah Thomas – 10-12 (1-3 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Isiah Thomas: 30.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 6.1 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.8 BPG

Head-To Head Playoff Series:

1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals: 1-4

1989 Eastern Conference Finals: 2-4

1990 Eastern Conference Finals 3-4

1991 Eastern Conference Finals 4-0

The rivalry between Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas runs deeper than any of us will ever truly understand. Thomas and his teammates bullied Jordan physically on the court to the point it could be considered assault. Thomas, along with teammates Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman all had similar playoff success against Jordan with 12-10 records against the GOAT in four playoff matchups.

The first three times these two legends met in the NBA playoffs, all three of the series went to Detroit in brutalizing fashion. The Detroit Pistons beat and battered Jordan so badly, that he looked human for the first time in his career when he stepped on the court against them. Finally, after a 4-3 series loss in the Eastern Conference playoffs for the third straight season, something clicked in Jordan and he came back for sweet revenge.

In the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, Michael Jordan snapped when he stepped on the court against Detroit, taking their beatings better than ever before. Jordan would finish the series with 29.8 points, 7.0 assists, and 2.3 steals per game on 53.5% shooting from the field. Jordan and the Bulls emphatically swept the Pistons and went on to win their first NBA championship over the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

15. Ron Harper – 5-4 (2-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Ron Harper: 41.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 7.0 APG, 3.0 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1988 Eastern Conference First Round 3-2

1989 Eastern Conference 3-2

Michael Jordan and Ron Harper are another set of teammates that were fierce rivals before they went on to win championships together from 1996-1998. As a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the late 1980s, Harper took delight in the challenge of facing off against Jordan in the playoffs in 1988 and 1989.

In 1988, Jordan met Harper and the Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The series would go to a decisive fifth game which the Bulls pulled out 107-101. Jordan led the Bulls to the series win over Cleveland with 45.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game. Harper did all he could with 17.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 steals per game.

The following season, Harper and the Cavaliers drew the unfortunate assignment of facing off against the Bulls in the first round once more. Jordan would once again lead the Bulls to a series win in five games, this time with a back-breaking game-winner in Game 5 forever known as “The Shot” over Craig Ehlo. Jordan averaged 39.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 3.0 steals per game in the series on 51.8% shooting.

T14. Xavier McDaniel 4-3 (1-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Xavier McDaniel: 31.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.1 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals 4-3

Michael Jordan and Xavier McDaniel were another set of rivals that nearly came to blows several times during their careers dating back to McDaniel’s days with the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1980s. In the 1990s, however, Jordan and McDaniel would meet when the Bulls took on the Knicks in the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals, a series that would be one for the ages.

McDaniel was a tough matchup during the series as the Knicks’ second-leading scorer with 18.6 points per game on 49.6% shooting. Unfortunately for New York, their opponent was just better in Game 7 as Jordan led the way with 42 points in a 29-point blowout win. In the series, Jordan would average 31.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game on 47.7% shooting to lead the Bulls to a win and eventually, their second straight NBA title.

T14. Reggie Miller – 4-3 (1-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Reggie Miller: 31.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1998 Eastern Conference Finals 4-3

Reggie Miller and Michael Jordan have a history both on and off the basketball court. Over the years, a friendship has blossomed between the two with Miller often declaring Jordan as the GOAT. It wasn’t always this way as Jordan and Miller engaged in a heated rivalry on the court that came to blows on occasion with both players being two of the best trash-talkers in league history.

Unfortunately for NBA fans, Miller and Jordan met just one time when the stakes were high in the NBA playoffs. In the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, Jordan’s Bulls and Miller’s Pacers went toe-to-toe in an electric 7-game series. Jordan would torch the Pacers in the series with 28 points in Game 7 and 31.7 points per game on 46.7% shooting in the series to advance to the NBA Finals, where they would capture their sixth NBA championship. Miller also had a decent series against Jordan with 17.4 points per game on 43.6% shooting from three.

12. Shaquille O’Neal – 6-4 (1-1 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Shaquille O’Neal: 30.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 2.4 SPG, 1.4 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2-4

1996 Eastern Conference Finals 4-0

Shaquille O’Neal is another NBA legend and top 10 player in NBA history who has emphatically endorsed Michael Jordan as the greatest player the game has ever seen. Shaquille O’Neal was witness to Michael’s greatness and determination first-hand during his early playing days with the Orlando Magic during the 1990s.

Shaquille O’Neal and star teammate Penny Hardaway both had the luxury of meeting Michael Jordan in the NBA playoffs twice in their careers. In 1995, as Jordan returned to the game after a year-and-a-half hiatus, the duo would clash with Chicago in the second round of the NBA playoffs. In that series, Jordan would go off for 31.0 points per game on 47.7% shooting from the field. However, the duo of Shaq and Penny would lead Orlando to victory as O’Neal averaged 24.3 points and 13.2 rebounds per game and was backed up by Hardaway’s 18.5 points and 7.5 assists per game.

Jordan took it personally and made it a mission to get his vengeance on the league in 1996. He claimed MVP honors while leading the Bulls to a record 72 wins and a trip to the NBA playoffs. The Bulls and the Magic would meet once again in the Eastern Conference Finals. This time, Orlando did not stand a chance as Jordan averaged 29.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game to sweep the Magic and go on to capture his fourth NBA championship and Finals MVP award.

T11. Clyde Drexler – 4-2 (1-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats: 35.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1992 NBA Finals 4-2

During the 1980s and 1990s, Michael Jordan’s best competition at the shooting guard position was Clyde Drexler. Drexler was a long, athletic, and gifted shooting guard in the NBA who consistently challenged for the title of the top dog at the position.

As time pressed on, it became clear that Jordan was the far superior player but it was not that way heading into 1991-92. That season, Drexler challenged Jordan for the MVP award and although he fell short of that goal, he would lead Portland to the NBA Finals for a face-off with Jordan and the Bulls. Experts and media analysts alike even challenged Jordan by proclaiming that Drexler was superior at this point which was something Jordan wasn’t going to let slide.

Over the next six games, Jordan toyed with and torched Drexler to the tune of 35.8 points per game on 52.6% shooting over six games. This included a Game 1 performance to set the tone that saw Jordan knock down six threes in the first half of action and finish with 39 points. Jordan would lead Chicago to the NBA championship for the second straight season, claiming Finals MVP honors and putting to rest the comparisons between him and Drexler for good.

T11. Gary Payton – 4-2 (1-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Gary Payton: 27.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1996 NBA Finals 4-2

I will keep no secrets here. Michael Jordan and Gary Payton are my two favorite players in NBA history and their meeting during the 1996 Finals was a big reason why. Of course, every time these two met on the court, it was as entertaining as any game gets with Payton showing zero give in his physical and passionate play style which was met with the same energy from Jordan.

In 1996, Payton and teammate Shawn Kemp had formed one of the top duos in the NBA. They would lead the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA Finals against Jordan and the Bulls that season. Seattle’s first time in the Finals since 1979. Payton and Kemp fought valiantly to shut down Chicago with Kemp even being the best player on the floor at times and finishing with 23.3 points and 10.0 rebounds for the series.

In the end, it would be Michael Jordan and the Bulls winning their fourth NBA championship and Jordan claiming his sixth Finals MVP award after finishing with 27.3 points per game on 41.5% shooting from the field. Payton was a force to be reckoned with defensively and held Jordan to his poorest shooting in a Finals series ever while adding 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.

T11. Karl Malone 8-4 (2-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Karl Malone: 32.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1997 NBA Finals 4-2

1998 NBA Finals 4-2

After taking care of the duo of Payton and Kemp, another powerhouse 90s tandem from the Western Conference began to reveal themselves as a serious threat to Jordan’s championship reign. Karl Malone and John Stockton of the Utah Jazz emerged as true contenders during the late 1990s leading to a rivalry between these two teams over the next two seasons.

In 1997, Karl Malone was named MVP over Michael Jordan in a close race for the honor. When the two teams met in that year’s NBA Finals, Michael Jordan made it a point to prove to the world that he was the superior player on the game’s biggest stage. Jordan would erupt for 32.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game over six games to deliver his fifth NBA title and Finals MVP award while also dashing Malone and Stockton’s hopes at a championship.

This rivalry would see chapter two unfold during the 1998 playoffs as well with the two teams meeting in the NBA Finals for the second straight season. In what would be Jordan’s final games with the Bulls, he left on top of the mountain with his sixth NBA championship, second three-peat, and sixth Finals MVP award in a six-game series win over the Jazz with 33.5 points per game. The series win gave Jordan an 8-4 career playoff record against both Malone and Stockton with both players finishing their careers with zero championship rings.

8. Mark Price 13-6 (4-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Mark Price: 37.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 5.9 APG, 2.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1988 Eastern Conference First Round 3-2

1989 Eastern Conference First Round 3-2

1992 Eastern Conference Finals 4-2

1993 Eastern Conference Semifinals 4-0

The Cleveland Cavaliers were on the other end of Michael Jordan’s playoff wrath perhaps more than any other franchise in the league. Jordan killed the Cavaliers and they were the team he scored against most in his NBA career. On the losing end of these dominant performances was most notably Mark Price, a sharp-shooting point guard for Cleveland. Jordan finished with a 13-6 career playoff record against Price as well as other Cleveland mainstays as Brad Daugherty and Craig Ehlo.

The first two series between Jordan and the Cavaliers in 1988 and 1989 were thrilling and as close as it gets in the first round. It took two massive Game 5 performances from Jordan in these back-to-back series wins to get by Price and company on those playoff runs with the Cavaliers being led by Price’s 20-plus points per game and Daugherty’s interior presence.

After 1989, it wouldn’t be until 1992 that Jordan saw the Cavaliers again, this time in the Eastern Conference Finals. While Cleveland fought valiantly, Jordan led the Bulls to a six-game series win with 31.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. The trio of Cleveland stars would see Jordan one more time in the NBA playoffs together in 1993. Jordan and the Bulls made easier work of that series, sweeping Cleveland in four games.

7. Patrick Ewing – 19-8 (5-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Patrick Ewing: 33.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1989 Eastern Conference Semifinals 4-2

1991 Eastern Conference First Round 3-0

1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals 4-3

1993 Eastern Conference Finals 4-2

1996 Eastern Conference Semifinals 4-1

If Cleveland isn’t the team who suffered the most at the hands of Michael Jordan, then Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, and the New York Knicks take the unfortunate dishonor of holding that title. Patrick Ewing and former Jordan teammate Charles Oakley met the Bulls in the playoffs 27 times, winning just eight games in total and losing all five playoff series in which they matched up. If that isn’t pure domination, then I don’t know what it is.

Ewing served as the Knicks franchise cornerstone and superstar while Oakley was the enforcer and physical paint presence just as he had been on the court with Chicago during the 1980s. While Jordan and this Knicks duo were close friends off the court, he played as if he despised them on it.

The closest that Ewing and Oakley ever got to beating Jordan in a playoff series came in the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals. That series would be stretched to seven games thanks to 22.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game from Ewing. In the end, Jordan prevailed against New York like he always did with 42 points in Game 7 and 31.3 points per game in the series to lead Chicago to victory.

6. Charles Barkley – 12-4 (3-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Charles Barkley: 39.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 7.1 APG, 2.4 SPG, 1.1 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1990 Eastern Conference Semifinals 4-1

1991 Eastern Conference Semifinals 4-1

1993 NBA Finals 4-2

Coming out of the same draft class in 1984, Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan shared an on-court rivalry for most of their careers. Although a friendship was born off the court, Jordan treated Barkley just like he would any other opponent on the court, without mercy and regard for their feelings.

Barkley and Jordan would meet three times in the playoffs in their careers with Jordan’s Bulls winning all three series. In 1990 and 1991, Jordan and the Bulls would meet and eliminate Barkley’s 76ers in the second round of the NBA playoffs in two five-game series. It would be the final time they met during the Eastern Conference playoffs in their careers but they had one more series left in them.

In 1993, Barkley joined the Phoenix Suns where he would win MVP and lead the team to the NBA Finals in his first season there. Unfortunately, Jordan took it personally again with Barkley being named MVP over him and went off for 41.0 points per game in the series, defeating Barkley and the Suns in six games to help the Bulls become the first team since the Celtics of the 1960s to three-peat as NBA champions.

5. Magic Johnson – 4-1 (1-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Magic Johnson: 31.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 11.4 APG, 2.8 SPG, 1.4 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1991 NBA Finals 4-1

There has always been a competitive respect between Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan with Jordan citing Magic as one of the players he looked up to in college. Given that Johnson spent his entire career with the Lakers in the Western Conference and Jordan spent most of his career in the East with the Bulls, the only chance these two had of meeting was in the NBA Finals which finally came to be in 1991.

Magic Johnson and Jordan’s former college teammate James Worthy would lead the Lakers to the 1991 NBA finals to face Jordan in his first Finals appearance ever. After a Game 1 victory for the Lakers, the change was made for Jordan to take the defensive assignment on Johnson. What followed would be four straight wins for Jordan and the Bulls and their first championship in franchise history. Jordan would be named Finals MVP with 31.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game on 55.8% shooting.

4. Alonzo Mourning – 10-2 (3-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Alonzo Mourning: 30.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series

1995 Eastern Conference First Round 3-1

1996 Eastern Conference First Round 3-0

1997 Eastern Conference Finals – 4-1

During the 1990s, one of the premier two-way centers in the game was Alonzo Mourning. While Mourning played in the East with Jordan for the entirety of his career, calling it a rivalry would be a disservice to all the real rivalries there are in the NBA.

Jordan and Mourning would face off one time in Mourning’s career with the Charlotte Hornets. That series would come in the 1995 first round when Jordan made his comeback from retirement and led the Bulls to a 3-1 series win. The following season, Mourning joined the Miami Heat who would also go on to face Jordan and the Bulls in the first round, falling in a dominant sweep behind Jordan’s 30.0 points per game on 51.6% shooting.

The final time these two stars would meet during their playoff careers would come in the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals. While Mourning led a scrappy team in Miami, they were no match for the 30.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game from MJ as the Bulls would go on to win their fifth NBA title.

3. Tim Hardaway – 7-1 (2-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Tim Hardaway: 30.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1996 Eastern Conference First Round 3-0

1997 Eastern Conference Finals – 4-1

Another All-Star and All-NBA talent who was a part of those scrappy Miami Heat teams during the 90s was point guard Tim Hardaway. As one of the leaders of the Miami Heat, Hardaway led the Heat to numerous playoff appearances and deep playoff runs that were thwarted by Jordan.

Hardaway and the Het faced off against Jordan in back-to-back playoff series in 1996 and 1997. After leading the Bulls to 72 wins in 1996, Jordan would lead them to a sweep of the Miami Heat in the first round of the 1995 NBA playoffs. The next time they would meet would be with much more on the line in the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals. Even with a team-leading 17.2 points per game from Hardaway, Miami could only grab one win from Chicago and be eliminated from the playoffs.

T1. Chris Webber – 3-0 (1-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Chris Webber: 37.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1997 Eastern Conference First Round 3-0

One of the most underrated big men in NBA history and a playmaking savant was Chris Webber. In the first few seasons of his career, Webber played four seasons with the Washington Bullets from 1995 through 1998. In 1997, Webber became an All-Star averaging 20.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He would lead the Washington Bullets to the NBA playoffs where they drew Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the first round.

The Bulls would grab a Game 1 win by a score of 98-86 behind 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists from Jordan. MJ would go on to deliver a 55-point performance in a five-point Game 2 win as well as 28 points in a one-point Game 3 win to sweep the Bullets in three games. In his only playoff series ever against Michael Jordan, Webber averaged 15.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in the loss.

T1. Dominique Wilkins – 3-0 (1-0 In Playoff Series)

Michael Jordan Playoff Stats vs. Dominique Wilkins: 34.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.7 BPG

Head-To-Head Playoff Series:

1993 Eastern Conference First Round 3-0

The matchup between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins was always primetime television as two of the NBA’s best scorers of the era came to a head against one another. Despite Wilkins’ ability to win games on his own and lead the Atlanta Hawks to the playoffs, these two NBA legends met just once in their playoff careers.

That series would come in 1993 when Wilkins’ Hawks went up against Jordan’s Bulls in a best-of-5 series. Jordan would lead all scorers with 35 points in Game 1 as Chicago picked up a 114-90 blowout win. Wilkins would answer back with 37 points in Game 2 but Chicago still bested Atlanta by 15 points, 117-102. In Game 3, it would be all Michael Jordan with 39 points in a 98-88 victory, completing the three-game series sweep.