Michael Jordan is known by most NBA fans as the G.O.A.T. of the sport. There’s a good reason for this. MJ won six championships in six tries while earning Finals MVP honors all six times.
There are many other reasons why Jordan is known as the greatest. However, one stat line Jordan isn’t known to be in the conversation for the G.O.A.T. category is among the best players at achieving a triple-double.
In his career, Jordan recorded 28 triple-doubles, which currently ranks 20th all-time. As for Jordan’s triple-doubles, 15 of his 28 came in the 1988-89 season, when MJ switched to the point guard position for half the season.
So, with this knowledge, would you be surprised to find out the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double in an All-Star Game was none other than Michael Jordan? Well, it’s true, and it occurred in the 1997 All-Star Game in Cleveland.
Jordan Becomes First Player To Record An All-Star Game Triple-Double
The 1997 NBA All-Star Game was a special occasion. The NBA was celebrating its 50th season, and they honored their 50 best players at halftime of the game.
It was incredible to see players like Bill Russell standing next to Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar being on the same stage as George Mikan, and Michael Jordan talking to Wilt Chamberlain. The game’s greatest players were on full display, and it was great for every fan to see.
As for the game, you know Michael Jordan would want to put on a show in front of these legends. The problem was Jordan’s shot was off in the game.
As Jordan was struggling to find his rhythm, the Western All-Stars, led by Gary Payton and Latrell Sprewell, were having their way against the Eastern squad’s defense. At one point, the East was down 23 points in the second quarter, and East coach Doug Collins called a timeout.
In the timeout, Coach Collins let Jordan know that the winners of the All-Star Game earned twice as much money. This, MJ didn’t know, and knowing how much Jordan loved to gamble, he took this bet and turned the game around.
Brian James, who is the current assistant coach on the Northwestern Wildcats men’s basketball team, was an assistant coach on Doug Collins’ Detroit Pistons at the time. This led to him being an assistant on Collins’ Eastern Conference team.
James once recalled the moment Collins told Jordan about the money the winning team earned during the timeout in an interview.
(Starts 1:05):
Michael Jordan didn't know that the winners got more money at the 1997 All-Star Game until Doug Collins tells him in a huddle.
MJ flips the switch, erases a 23-point deficit, records the first triple-double in ASG history and collects the bag. 😂😂😂https://t.co/IS0eLQZqYo pic.twitter.com/EGnkjRNo8B
— Gordon Voit (@GordonVoit) July 17, 2020
“The winning share is twice as much of the losing share, okay, and Michael Jordan didn’t know that,” James explained. “In the second quarter, we were down by 18 points, and Doug Collins calls a timeout and says, ‘Come on, guys, do we really wanna give them all that money they’re gonna make for winning this game?’
“And Michael Jordan said, ‘What are you talking about?’ He had no idea that the winners got more than the losers. And that was it. Our team played so well the last two and a half quarters that we won by about 18 points.”
Jordan led the Eastern Conference comeback. Even though his shot still remained off, Jordan was setting his teammates up with good passes while also battling the boards to secure the rebound.
Jordan finished the game with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, recording the first All-Star Game triple-double. The East won the game 132-120, and even though Jordan recorded a triple-double, he was not awarded the MVP award.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiRBdLpuYEw
Glen Rice of the Charlotte Hornets took home the MVP award after breaking two All-Star records: most points in a quarter (20) and most points in a half (24). If it wasn’t for Jordan’s leadership, Rice might have never found the rhythm to get hot, and the East may not have won.
So Jordan might not have won the MVP, but making history, and earning more money than the West team, probably was just fine to the G.O.A.T., Michael Jordan.
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