As the greatest basketball player ever, Michael Jordan raked in a lot of money for the Chicago Bulls. In fact, during the height of his game, MJ’s influence and star power made the Bulls one of the most valuable teams in the NBA and made Jordan an icon beyond the sport itself.
Of course, MJ also cost the Bulls. A lot of money, too. In fact, during the 1995 NBA playoffs, Jordan cost his team $100,000 in the span of a few weeks, and it could have been even more had they not been eliminated in the second round.
How Michael Jordan Cost The Bulls $100,000 In The 1995 Playoffs
1995 was Jordan’s first year back after his short hiatus from the league, and he took Chicago right back to the playoffs. But due to the team’s failure to notify the league that Jordan would be switching back to his iconic no. 23 jersey, the Bulls were fined $25,000 per game.
The NBA levied a $100,000 fine against the Bulls for permitting Jordan to change his jersey number during the playoffs. It is believed to be the largest collective non-fighting fine in modern times, according to NBA historians.
The Bulls, who are solely responsible for paying the fine, were originally fined $25,000 after Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Bulls and Orlando Magic for failing to notify the league that Jordan would be switching from No. 45 to 23. Ironically, losing in the second round saved the Bulls from a larger fine as this latest $100,000 penalty was broken down to $25,000 per game for the four additional games in which Jordan continued to wear his original 23.
MJ only wore 45 for the first 22 games of his comeback, citing the memory of his late father as the motivation to try it out. Eventually, he switched back after admitting it just wasn’t him.
“There’s no rule saying I couldn’t change my jersey number,” Jordan claimed at the time. “I think everyone is misinterpreting that. I think the league understands that. I didn’t take a number I’m not used to, so what’s the big hype? No. 23 is me, so why try to be something else? I know my father never saw me in 45. But No. 23 is something I feel comfortable with and that’s why I went to it. If it’s a mental confidence, it’s a mental confidence.”
So, that’s the story of how Michael Jordan cost the Bulls $100,000 in a single playoff run. While it’s not MJ’s most glamorous tale, it does go to show what lengths the Bulls were willing to go to in order to keep Jordan happy. Then again, $100,000 wasn’t much to a franchise that was (and is) worth so much more than that.
While the Bulls ultimately failed to win the title that season, Jordan would lead the team to three more before he retired for the second time — and he never wore that number again.
