Even after his first retirement, Michael Jordan was still relevant around the NBA world. His Airness was pursuing a career in baseball, but that didn’t change the fact that he was the best basketball player in the world.
He demonstrated that during an exhibition game against his former teammate Scottie Pippen, torching him and letting people know there was nobody greater than Michael Jordan. The then 3x NBA champion was invited to the 1994 Scottie Pippen Ameritech All-Star Classic, agreeing to attend the event after a conversation with his former Chicago Bulls teammate.
Competitive as he was, MJ didn’t hide from the challenge and made sure people know he might be playing a different sport, but he was as dominant as ever on the basketball court. Jeremy Julien of Basketball Mecca recently shared a story of when MJ returned to the floor in 1994 to face Pippen in the last scheduled basketball game at Chicago Stadium.
He played in front of more than 18,000 people, torching Scottie, dropping 52 points on the Red Team. The White Team had incredible players, including Penny Hardaway, so it wasn’t like Pippen had a big of a chance to beat Jordan and co.
Former Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan erupted for 52 points Friday to lead the White Team to a 187-150 victory over Scottie Pippen’s Red Team in the last scheduled basketball game at Chicago Stadium. Jordan, who batted .202 with three homers and 51 RBI for the Birmingham Barons of the Southern League this season, finished the game shooting 53% from the field.
At first, Jordan indicated he would not play in the Scottie Pippen Ameritech All-Star Classic, but apparently changed his mind after speaking with Pippen. Anfernee Hardaway of the Orlando Magic added 42 points for the White Team. Pippen led the Red Team with 24 points.
The event was played before a sellout crowd of over 18,000 and was expected to raise more than $150,000 for underprivileged kids in Chicago. Chicago Stadium is being torn down for the United Center, the new home of the Bulls.
Following the game, the two Bulls legend had some words to say, with Jordan claiming he felt like he was in a Bulls practice, where he normally dominated Pippen. On the other hand, Scottie admitted he didn’t want his former teammate to embarrass him, so it was a rough night for him.
“It was tough because I didn’t want him to embarrass me out there on the court. Michael is one of the greatest players to play the game, so it’s tough to shut him down,” Pippen told reporters with a smile on his face.
This game was a prediction of MJ’s future. Six months after that match, he would return to the NBA, trying to help the Bulls in a tough 1995 NBA playoffs. They couldn’t get past Penny Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal, and the rest of the Orlando Magic, who eliminated Jordan in the second round.
After that season, he would enter a second successful period with Chicago, winning three straight championships before retiring from the game for the second time.
As Julien pointed out in the post, Pippen’s words in 1994 were very different from 2021. He admitted that Jordan torched him before, but recently claimed he was as good as MJ on the court. They indeed complemented each other’s game perfectly, and it would have been hard for them to win without one another, but Mike was a different breed and he showed that during that game.
This is one of those stories that makes you realize how great Jordan was. He played against prime Pippen while being a baseball player and still dominated him and more NBA stars.
