Even before he started winning championships and dominating with the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan was scoring at a pace that no one in the NBA could contain. In just his third season in the league, her averaged over 37 points per game while playing all 82 games.
Playoff success didn’t come to him around that time, but he had a legendary 63-point game against the Boston Celtics. And Danny Ainge revealed what it was like to guard MJ during that time.
“The ultimate challenge, Danny Ainge said on the Y’s Boys podcast. “If you did stop him, it was a miracle. If you didn’t, it’s like so what, nobody guards him.
“I remember a funny time in this 63-point game. I got accused of doing this a little more than my coaches or teammates would have liked. Walton fouls out while guarding Jordan on an iso. He’s screaming and cursing me out like, ‘Quit switching. Guard your own man.’ I go, ‘Hey, I just wanted you to appreciate how hard it is.’”
(starts at 31:07 minutes)
That is an amazing story, and it shows that even when he was playing arguably one of the best-constructed teams of all time, Michael Jordan was still the best player. There’s a reason Larry Bird referred to him as ‘God disguised as Michael Jordan’ after his 63-point effort against the Celtics.
Michael Jordan’s 63 Points Against The Boston Celtics Is Still An NBA Playoff Record
Going up against the Boston Celtics in the 1985-86 season was a challenge for any team, they were truly stacked from top to bottom. Led by Larry Bird, who was ably supported by Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, the team also had players like Bill Walton, Danny Ainge, and Dennis Johnson backing them up. They dropped just 3 games on their way to winning the championship, but Michael Jordan managed to get an NBA record against that team.
His 63 points in Game 2 of the first round are still the most points scored by any player in an NBA playoff game. If he wasn’t going up against one of the best teams of all time, he could have single-handedly carried the Chicago Bulls to a series win. Michael Jordan went on to do incredible things in the league, but his performances against the best teams early in his career were really what announced his arrival.
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