Today is February 17; Michael Jordan’s birthday. To celebrate the G.O.A.T. on what is his 59th birthday, I’ve decided to go back and look at Jordan’s performances on his birthday and decide which was his best birthday game.
- Birthday Record
- Jordan’s Birthday Games
- The G.O.A.T.’s Best Birthday Game
- Next
- Michael Jordan’s Career High Against Every NBA Team: The GOAT Destroyed The Cleveland Cavaliers
- The Last 40 Finals MVP Award Winners: Michael Jordan Is The Only One With 6 Awards
- All-Time Bulls Team vs. All-Time Lakers Team: Does Michael Jordan Have Enough Help To Beat Kobe, LeBron And Shaq?
- Ranking The 10 Best NBA Players From New York: Home Of Michael Jordan And Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- All-Time Red Team vs. All-Time Blue Team: No One Can Beat Michael Jordan And LeBron James When They Are On The Same Team
Birthday Record
Michael Jordan played 15 years in the NBA, winning six titles, completing two three-peats, winning five MVPs… all of that stuff you already know.
Now, if I asked you how many times Jordan played a game on his birthday, would you have the answer (without Google’s help, of course)?
You might not be able to answer, but that’s why you’re here, to find out this answer. Jordan, incredibly, only played four games on his birthday.
In those four games, Jordan’s team ended with a split. His team’s record was 2-2, but it wasn’t because of Jordan’s play.
Jordan’s averages were good for the games he played on his birthday. He averaged 31.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.
Jordan’s Birthday Games
Michael Jordan played every game on his birthday during his historic career as a member of the Chicago Bulls. So, there are no Washington Wizards games on the list.
Jordan’s first birthday game came during his rookie season. The Bulls played the Milwaukee Bucks in Milwaukee, and it didn’t turn out too well for Jordan’s squad.
The Bucks steamrolled over the Bulls, defeating them by a score of 125-105. Jordan did play well, scoring 26 points, grabbing three rebounds while dishing out three assists.
Jordan’s last game on his birthday came during the “The Last Dance” in 1998 and this time around, the Bulls would fare better.
The Bulls squared off against their late 90s rivals, the Indiana Pacers, and they’d end up securing a 105-97 victory.
Jordan scored 27 points while collecting four rebounds and handing out six assists.
During the 1993 season, on his 30th birthday, Jordan would also score 27 points in a 114-96 win over the Utah Jazz. He also had eight rebounds and six assists.
The G.O.A.T.’s Best Birthday Game
If you remember, I said Michael Jordan finished his career with a 2-2 record on his birthday. So, since two of the three games I mentioned above were wins, this last game was a Chicago Bulls loss.
I know it may be hard to say Jordan’s best game came in a loss, but if you look at all four birthday games, the game he played on his 29th birthday, was his best performance.
The game was played during the 1992 NBA season and the Bulls faced off against their late 80s and early 90s rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jordan was known as the “Cavalier Killer” for his past performances against the team from Cleveland.
This includes scoring his career-high 69 points (and grabbing a career-high 18 rebounds) and by hitting the game-winner in Game 5 of the first round of the 1989 playoffs, simply known as, “The Shot”.
So, everyone knew Jordan was going to be ready to put on a show against the Cavaliers. The game was played in Chicago, and the Bulls were coming off their first NBA title the season before.
Jordan scored an incredible 46 points on an amazing 21-32 shooting from the field.
Jordan also hit a bunch of incredible and amazing shots during the game that had the fans on their feet.
To go along with his 46 points, Jordan collected four rebounds and six assists. But sadly, Jordan’s performance wouldn’t be enough.
The Bulls lost to the Cavaliers by the score of 113-112. At the end of the game, with 6.2 seconds left, the Bulls had the ball down by one.
The entire Chicago Stadium knew Jordan would get the ball and hit a birthday game-winner. The unfortunate problem was the Cavaliers, for once, guarded Jordan well, and he couldn’t get the ball.
Jordan’s running mate, Scottie Pippen, got the ball and attempted the game-winner, but he missed.
Jordan may have not gotten the win on his birthday during the 1992 NBA season, but he’d go on to win the MVP, Finals MVP, and a second straight championship. So, I think he had a good year.
For us fans, it was an honor to watch him play live, and it’s still an honor to go back and watch old clips of a true artist at work.
For that, we say, happy birthday Michael Jordan, and thank you for all the memories.
