"Michael, you are right. You are the new King"
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Posted By: Hija Chang on June 05, 2025 Basketball Network - Your daily dose of basketball home "You couldn't ask for a greater individual coming into your league" - Larry Bird on why he felt no jealousy handing the mantle over to Michael Jordan"You couldn't ask for a greater individual coming into your league" - Larry Bird on why he felt no jealousy handing the mantle over to Michael Jordan "Michael, you are right. You are the new king" - Magic Johnson admitted to Michael Jordan it was his league after the 1991 NBA Finals Magic passed the torch to MJ after the 1991 Finals and the Dream Team locker room sealed the moment for good. Adel Ahmad Jun 4, 2025 1:11 PM EDT When the 1990s arrived, it was the Michael Jordan era — and he made sure everybody knew it. He didn't have to announce his presence. He imposed it and took control over his dominance. In 1991, Jordan captured his first NBA title, beating Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers in five games. It was more or less a coronation. Johnson had seen greats rise before — Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas. But this felt different. Jordan became king By the time the 1992 Olympics rolled around and the Dream Team was assembled, Jordan walked into that gym in Monte Carlo with the confidence of a man who knew the league was now his. And he let the two giants of the '80s — Bird and Johnson — know directly that there was a new sheriff in town. They agreed. "So we started laughing and said, 'Michael, you are right. You are the new king and good luck," Johnson said. "And he did not disappoint either." Johnson and Bird didn't resist the moment. They understood it. Jordan had taken Johnson's crown in real time the summer before. In that 1991 series, the Bulls' superstar averaged 31.2 points, 11.4 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game. He shot 56 percent from the field and delivered one of history's greatest individual Finals performances. That signature layup — where he switched the ball from right to left in mid-air, spinning it high off the glass — was the literal moment Showtime ended. Johnson, still elite, still brilliant, had run out of answers. And he knew it. When the next June rolled around, MJ had already won his second title, sweeping Clyde Drexler's Trail Blazers in the 1992 Finals. If there had been any doubts in anyone's mind, they were now settled. Jordan was building an empire. Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Jalen Williams opens up about small-market teams making the 2025 Finals: "I think the NBA is just naturally getting younger" Taking over In the 1980s, Johnson defined flash and control in equal measure. His Showtime Lakers racked up five titles in nine trips to the Finals. They ran teams out of gyms with tempo, vision and flair. Bird and the Boston Celtics, just as iconic, battled for every inch, lifting the NBA from tape-delay irrelevance to global television. That decade was about balance. Magic owned the West. Bird ruled the East. Rivalries drove the league. Fundamentals danced with charisma. But as the '90s came around, the NBA shifted to a handover to the world's newest supernova. Jordan came into the league in 1984 and was one of the top players from the onset. The only problem was that a championship proved elusive for the first part of his career. He had won an MVP award, a Defensive Player of the Year award, and several scoring titles. But no ring. In 1989 and 1990, the Detroit Pistons kept "Mr. Air" at bay with sheer physicality. The Jordan Rules slowed him, bruised him, and postponed his breakthrough. But when he returned in 1991, his body was stronger. The Bulls beat the Pistons and swept them off the court in the '91 Eastern Conference finals and the transition took root. MJ had dethroned the bad boys and gone straight through Johnson, who recognized it in real time. And in that Olympic locker room, surrounded by legends, he gave Jordan what he'd earned — acknowledgment. Birmingham Barons right fielder Michael Jordan, front, stands with his teammates during the national anthem before their game with Nashville Xpress at Greer Stadium in Nashville on April 23, 1994. "I think you should love this game, not take advantage of it" - Michael Jordan explained the true reason behind his 1995 comeback Read More https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-the-... By Adel Ahmad Adel Ahmad's work is characterized by a deep understanding of NBA history, from different eras to future evolution. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Hija Chang
Management, See Moss Interactive Bellarmine University class of 2021 Member Since January 2011 |
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