When Michael Jordan announced his return late in the 1994-95 season, the Chicago Bulls were excited to welcome him back. Even though he never played an NBA game for almost two years, they didn't doubt his abilities and what he could bring to the table.
It was a no-brainer that Jordan would be entering the team rotation right away, and that meant he would take his starting position back. Everybody knew that, except for Steve Kerr , who was brought in by the Bulls the year Jordan retired.
Former Bulls backup small forward Jud Buechler was in disbelief when Kerr asked him if Jordan would start in his return. Buechler then gave Kerr an epic response that stopped him from wondering.
"Steve, as a general rule, when you have your own statue outside the stadium, you don't come off the bench," Buechler remembered telling Kerr at the time. "When MJ started showing up at Berto spring of 1995 for practices, it didn't take long to see he was serious about getting back in the game ."
Just as the team had anticipated, Jordan got his mojo back in no time. It was quite evident that His Airness had a little bit of ring rust in his first few games back, but he brushed it all off in his famous double-nickel game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
In 17 games, Jordan averaged 26.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.8 steals. However, he failed to lead the Bulls to another NBA championship, as they suffered an upset playoff loss to the young Orlando Magic team led by the dynamic duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway.
Knowing Jordan and his competitiveness, he took that loss personally . Right after getting eliminated, he was already determined to work on his game and get his revenge the following season.
"It's very disappointing," Jordan said after the defeat via the Washington Post. "I've got a whole summer to say what if. What if I made the jump shots down the stretch? What if I'd been here a whole season? What if I'd been here last season?"
"I couldn't wait for the 1995-96 season to start," he reflected once again in his 1998 autobiography, "For the Love of the Game: My Story." "I knew my game had come back with all the work I put in over the summer. I felt like a kid coming out of college with something to prove."
Jordan headed into the 1995-96 season with a refreshed mind and body. He knew well that his focus was no longer divided, and the goal was to dominate and win the championship once again.
With MJ back to his old self, the Bulls steamrolled their competition all season long. They finished the regular season with a historic 72-10 record and went on to secure their fourth NBA title.
At that point, it was clear to everybody, including Kerr, that the greatest player in the world had truly returned. The Bulls would go on to win two more championships before Jordan decided to retire for the second time.
In 2001, MJ made another NBA return at nearly 40 years old. However, he was no longer the same player.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
