Giannis Antetokounmpo has sparked a big debate around the NBA with his comments after the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Whenever a modern-day superstar makes these types of comments, people tend to compare them to vintage legends, and recently, an NBA reporter brought back what Michael Jordan said about his season following the 1995 elimination against the Orlando Magic.
“I came back with a dream. A dream of winning. Was that unrealistic? Maybe, if you look at it right now. But when I came back? No.”
“I’m very disappointed I wasn’t able to contribute in the way that I have in the past. But that just drives me to be able to contribute as I did in the past.”
“It’s great to be respected. I’d rather be respected than praised. The way people were praising me, it was like I was some religious cult. That was embarrassing. I’m just a human being. But people were looking at me as if I were a supernatural being.”
So what did Michael Jordan say when his title runs ended early — in 1995, 1990 and 1989?
Here's 1995, the day after the Bulls lost in the East Semis.
"The way some people were praising me it was like I was some religious cult … I'm just a human being."
(✍️ @chicagotribune) pic.twitter.com/SOotqwSq41
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) April 27, 2023
It’s pretty clear that Jordan had a similar sentiment to Giannis. He knew that not every year he could win, as he learned during the late 80s. Once he became the unstoppable force that dominated the NBA during the 90s, not winning would have a different meaning for MJ.
Still, coming from a year and a half absence, His Airness and those around him knew it would be hard for him to dominate the same way he did, especially against the young Magic team. As he did before starting his first three-peat, Jordan got to work, came back, and then won three more championships in a row.
Kobe Bryant Admitted His Season Was Indeed A Failure
Contrary to what MJ said, Kobe Bryant had a different response to Jordan and Giannis, as he always focused on winning the NBA championship. After losing the 2008 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics, Bryant admitted that the season was a failure considering the high expectations about the Lakers.
The Bucks were in a similar position, posting the league-best record in the regular season and going against a play-in team in the first round. Many can say Giannis’ injury, Mike Budenholzer’s tragic loss, and other factors contributed to this loss, but it’s pretty clear that the Bucks were heavy favorites to come out of this round.
Antetokounmpo said what he said, and even with people knocking on him for that, he won’t change his point of view.
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